IASST Project Associate-I 2026: Electrocaloric Film Research

A hands-on research position in Guwahati

The Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) has advertised one Project Associate-I position under Advertisement 608, dated 15 October 2026. The appointment is for a research project on electrocaloric effect and energy storage in freestanding films for transparent flexible electronics (RJF/2022/000116). It is a project appointment based in Guwahati, rather than a permanent research post.

If you have an M.Sc. in Physics or Materials Science, this vacancy may fit your academic background. The institute asks for someone who can contribute to experimental work and research documentation. It also mentions specific laboratory techniques as desirable experience, but the degree requirement and the experience preferences should be read separately.

What the project involves

An electrocaloric material can change temperature in response to a changing electric field. This property is of interest in research on ways of controlling heat in electronic systems. The IASST project focuses on that effect and on energy storage in thin, freestanding films for potential use in flexible, transparent electronics. Those are the aims described in the project title, rather than a promise that the appointee will produce a finished device.

The associate's advertised work is practical: conduct experiments, help prepare experiments, organise data collection and contribute to scientific manuscripts. Researchers with experience of materials characterisation may find that background relevant. The notice, however, does not assign a fixed list of instruments or specify how many papers must be published.

The qualification distinction that matters

There are two accepted essential degree routes: M.Sc. Physics and M.Sc. Materials Science. Either of these meets the named subject requirement. A B.Tech. by itself, or a postgraduate degree with a different title, is not expressly included; candidates relying on another qualification should seek clarification from IASST.

Experience with XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and ferroelectric materials such as perovskites or PVDF appears under desirable qualification. It is useful to mention genuine dissertation or laboratory work involving these methods, but the advertisement does not make all three techniques compulsory. For example, an eligible Physics postgraduate can accurately discuss electrical-property measurements from a dissertation without pretending to have used SEM. Conversely, a Materials Science postgraduate with XRD experience can explain the samples studied and the findings obtained.

The notice does not prescribe a separate minimum degree percentage, NET/GATE score or fixed number of previous employment years. The age limit is 35 years, subject to applicable Government of India relaxation. The application form asks for age as on 12 November 2026; individual category-wise relaxation periods are not itemised in the notice.

Apply by email before the walk-in

IASST's official contractual recruitment listing shows 24 October 2026 as the closing date for Job ID 608. The advertisement PDF uses the wording within ten days of the advertisement dated 15 October. Because the listing supplies an explicit date, applicants should follow 24 October and avoid leaving the email until the last moment. No exact closing hour is published.

How to submit: Download Annexure I from the three-page notice, complete and sign it, then email the form with relevant supporting documents to shibnaths@iasst.gov.in. This is an email application, not registration on a web-based application form. The notice has no online payment instruction.

Annexure I asks for a research project summary of no more than 200 words. Describe the question you worked on during your MSc or another project, how you carried out the work and what results or measurements you obtained. A separate motivation statement has a 100-word limit and is explicitly optional. Fill the other requested details, attach the relevant certificates and keep a copy of the message and attachments you send.

The walk-in interview is on 12 November 2026, starting at 10:00 AM at IASST, Paschim Boragaon, Garchuk, Guwahati. Applicants must report one hour early (9:00 AM). Carry all original documents and self-attested copies of academic credentials, along with any relevant category certificate. The institute will not provide TA/DA for attending. Sending an application email and appearing at the interview are separate requirements.

Stipend and contract conditions

The advertisement quotes ₹30,000 stipend plus 20% HRA. Twenty per cent of ₹30,000 is ₹6,000, so the quoted components add up to ₹36,000 for the same payment period. The original pay line does not explicitly name that period; it would therefore be misleading to promise ₹36,000 monthly take-home pay without clarification from IASST. No other allowances are specified in the notice.

The appointment begins with a one-year term. An extension may be considered based on performance, but the published project limit is 30 March 2028. The appointment ends with the project and does not confer regular employment at IASST.

Selection and preparing for the interview

The selection notice provides for a walk-in interview. It does not announce a written test, question paper, CBT date or official interview marks distribution. Candidates can prepare by reviewing their own MSc dissertation and practising a clear explanation of the experiments they conducted, measurements they understand and data they handled. That is practical preparation advice, not an institute-issued syllabus.

Read the official notice with Annexure I and check the IASST recruitment directory for updates before travelling. Applicants comparing opportunities can browse other Science & Research jobs or Assam vacancies on SarkariSapna. Those directories are for discovering vacancies; this application goes to the IASST email address above.