JRF-Project Associate Department of Life Sciences

Job Description 

Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Deemed to be University), Delhi NCR (Shiv Nadar IoE) invites applications from bright and motivated individuals for the position of JRF/Project Associate I in the Spatial Navigation Laboratory led by Dr Sachin Deshmukh. The Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence strongly supports the national imperative for increasing female representation in STEM, and accordingly female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The lab is interested in understanding spatial navigation. We perform in vivo recordings of neuronal activity in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex in freely behaving rodents to understand how they create representation of space, and how this representation is used to navigate in familiar and novel environments. Please see the lab publications listed at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6eKwOWcAAAAJ&hl=en for further details.

The work involves hardware design and manufacture, writing software (for experiment control and quantitative analysis) as well as performing actual implantation surgeries, neural recordings and behavioral experiments followed by histology to localize electrodes. People working in the lab get trained in these techniques.

The JRF/Project Associate I will be involved in a ANRF ARG sponsored project recording olfactory bulb, entorhinal cortical and hippocampal activity while the rats forage for food or make odor or visually guided choices on a continuous T maze. Their responsibilities will include designing behavioural apparatus and recording implants, recording using tetrodes and analyzing neural activity.

Qualifications:

Four years Bachelors’ or a masters’ degree with training in a quantitative field (engineering/computer science/ physics/ mathematics etc.) or life sciences and ability to program (python/ C/ C++/ matlab or any other language).

Willingness to work with rodents (rats) is a must, though you are not expected to have previously worked with animals of any kind.

Tenure:

The duration of the contract shall be till February 28^th, 2027, to be extended based on continuation of the project as well as satisfactory assessment of progress.

Compensation:

The position offers a salary of Rs 37,000 (For those who have qualified CSIR-UGC NET or GATE) or Rs 30,000 per month (for those who have not qualified CSIR-UGC NET or GATE or having only a 4 years bachelor’s degree) for the duration of the contract + HRA (if not availing the campus accommodation). The position is not eligible for any other benefits.

How to apply:

Please email the following documents to Dr Sachin Deshmukh, Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences at [email protected]

• Resume
• Any other relevant information, including information about projects, dissertations, references etc.

If you have any specific queries in relation to this position, please contact Dr Sachin Deshmukh, Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences at [email protected]

Application Deadline: June 15th, 2026