Research Opportunities in Basic Sciences at IITs

• March 16, 2022
• By Editor
• Research Articles

Introduction

Science is the systematic study of materials and phenomena of the natural world. Science is a triumph of human knowledge that has transformed our lives, generally for the better. It is valued by society because scientific knowledge helps satisfy many basic human needs and improve living standards. Scientific advancement has brought great economic, technological and societal progress.

India is one of the top-ranking countries in the field of basic research. Indian Science has come to be regarded as one of the most powerful instruments of growth and development, especially in the emerging scenario and competitive economy. Through the new Science, Technology, Innovation (STI) Policy, India aims to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and stakeholder-driven STI planning, information, evaluation, and policy research in India.

Research in Science at IITs

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are known globally for conducting path-breaking research in physical, chemical, biological, mathematical, and interdisciplinary sciences. They are the finest research institutes in India, with top-class facilities for basic sciences research. Various departments, schools, and centers of basic sciences at different IITs promote world-class scientific research and training at the frontiers of science. These Departments/schools/centers of Sciencesrun vibrant graduate programs such as Ph.D., Integrated MSc-PhD, and MSc degree in certain subjects. They also offer Post-Doctoral programs. They provide advanced research programs in fundamental science along with a vibrant teaching curriculum, with an understanding of the essential elements of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.IITs place special emphasis on inter-disciplinary research. These institutes inter-phase with other scientific disciplines and equip their students to keep pace with recent developments in the field of scientific research by undertaking high-quality research activities in defined areas of basic sciences to make an impact at the national and international level.

Research Areas in Physics

The exceptional research expertise of faculties at various departments/schools/centers of physical science at IITs provides students with a wide variety of research experiences. The Ph.D. program and Master’s degree programs blend demanding coursework with cutting-edge research to prepare graduates for jobs in academia, industry, and government labs. The courses are designed and taught by IITs’ internationally reputed academics carrying out advanced research in diverse areas. Key research areas in Physical science are:

Condensed Matter Experiment; Condensed Matter Theory; Laser, Photonics and Quantum Optics; Astronomy, Cosmology, Astrophysics; Soft Matter, Biophysics and Nonlinear Dynamics; High Energy Theory and Experiments; Computational and  Statistical physics; Physics of Quantum Matter and Information systems; Plasma Physics;

Research Areas in Biology

IITs are premier research institutes in frontier areas of modern biology. They promote goal-oriented innovative interdisciplinary research by interfacing modern biology with applied engineering sciences to address problems affecting human health and welfare and training scholars to be the next generation scientists. Key research areas in biological sciences are:

Biophysics and Computational Biology; Proteins, Genome Biology, Systems Biology, and Genomic Medicine, Immunobiology; Ecology, Evolution, Climate Change & Conservation; Microbial Pathogenesis; Neuroscience, Computational Neurophysiology, Sensors, Instrumentation & Modelling, Genetic Engineering, Microbiology & Cell Biology; Molecular Reproduction and Development

Research Areas in Chemistry

Chemistry departments/schools at IITs are among the best in the country in both teaching and research. They stand tall in terms of quality research at the national and international platforms. Many research groups are actively involved in cutting-edge research in fundamental and applied areas that have direct and immediate relevance to industry and society. Research interests of these departments/schools/centers span all areas of chemical sciences, with strong overlap with related disciplines of materials science, biological science, and physical science. The areas of research include:

Reaction Kinetics, Thermodynamics, Nano-materials, Biophysical Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Intermolecular Forces, Synthesis, Organic Materials, Environmental Chemistry, Electrochemical Sensors/Biosensors, Spectroscopy, Quantum and Statistical Mechanical Methods, High-Performance Computing, Biological Chemistry, Supramolecular Assembly, Electron Transfer Complexes, Inorganic, Organic, Hybrid and Soft Materials, Catalysis, Solid State Chemistry, Electro Ceramics, Synthetic Reaction Methodology, Metal Catalysed Organic Reactions, Organic Synthesis, Multicomponent Reactions, Materials Electrochemistry 

Research Areas in Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics at various IITs offer doctoral research program for motivated students interested in pursuing their career in mathematics – either academic or industry and postgraduate programs, namely MSc and MTech. Ph.D. Program in Mathematics offers an exciting and unique opportunity to students for pursuing research in the following broad range of mathematical disciplines:

Algebra, Geometry and Topology, Number Theory, Analysis, Probability Theory, Combinatorics, Physical Applied Mathematics, Computational Sciences, Computational Biology, Theoretical Computer Science.