IIT Kanpur Field Worker Recruitment 2026 — 10 Positions in Urban Primary Healthcare Research

The Department of Economic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is recruiting 10 Field Workers for its research project “Meeting the Challenge of Urban PHC Systems in India – A Learning Sites Approach.” The official advertisement identifies the role as Field Worker and describes its practical responsibilities under the name Field Researcher. They refer to the same advertised role, not two separate sets of vacancies.

This is a temporary, contractual field-research appointment, initially for one year. The work centres on direct engagement with communities, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders in Kanpur, rather than a desk-only data-entry position. Applications are submitted through the Google Form linked by IIT Kanpur. The deadline is 30 November 2026.

The position at a glance

What this particular research assignment involves

The stated study examines urban Primary Healthcare (PHC) systems in India using a learning-sites approach. Field Workers will help researchers understand what happens at study locations by collecting primary evidence: accounts from community members, interviews with healthcare providers and observations made during visits. Primary data here means information collected directly for this project, rather than merely compiling existing reports or pulling figures from websites.

A typical assignment may require speaking with healthcare users, providers or relevant local stakeholders; arranging and conducting agreed field surveys; recording observations accurately; and submitting organised notes to the research team. The institute specifically expects careful handling of study participants and sensitive interview material. It also mentions identifying and recruiting research participants according to the research protocols. These duties require judgement in the field; the employer is not asking only for a computer operator who can type up completed forms.

The seven clearly advertised work areas

These are the responsibilities described in the advertisement; the exact daily route, number of interviews, survey questionnaire, travel reimbursement and working hours are not specified there. Applicants should clarify operational terms with the research team before accepting an offer rather than assume them.

Eligibility — a graduation degree alone is not sufficient

IIT Kanpur accepts a Bachelor's degree in any discipline, but also expressly requires relevant fieldwork experience and experience conducting field-based surveys. It does not name a compulsory BSW, B.Sc. Nursing, Public Health, Economics or Sociology degree. Equally, the open degree rule does not remove the separate field-experience requirement. The advertisement supplies no minimum number of months or years, so it is incorrect to impose an invented two- or three-year threshold.

Candidates who have organised community surveys, performed household visits, conducted stakeholder interviews, collected field questionnaires or maintained structured field records should describe exactly what they did in their CV. The CV should distinguish direct field participation from supervising a project entirely from an office. This is application advice based on the work described; the institute has not published a formal points rubric.

Competencies the department actually asks for

• Microsoft Office: Excel, Word and PowerPoint proficiency for records, documentation and project coordination.
• Communication: Respectful interaction with people from different communities and with healthcare staff or officials.
• Urban healthcare awareness: Basic familiarity with urban health systems, primary healthcare services and community-level health structures.
• Field mobility: Willingness and flexibility to travel extensively within Kanpur city for data collection.
• Research discipline: Accurate records, confidentiality, ethical behaviour and meeting the team's timelines.
• Collaborative and independent work: Ability to coordinate with a multidisciplinary team while handling assigned field tasks independently.

Empathy, cultural sensitivity, adaptability and attention to detail are expressly part of the stated expectations. No special professional registration, mandatory postgraduate degree, minimum percentage, language certificate, driving licence or age cutoff is printed in this recruitment advertisement.

Pay notation — read all three figures correctly

The original advertisement states “10800-1100-50400 (Consolidated), commensurate with qualifications and experience.” This is a scale-style notation, not three separate monthly pay offers and not a fixed guaranteed salary of ₹50,400 for every appointee.

The salary figure for an individual appointment depends on qualifications and experience according to the institute. The advertisement does not expressly specify the payment period for the scale, a guaranteed starting amount for every candidate, allowance entitlement or take-home pay after deductions. The initial term is one year; continuation, extension or conversion into a regular IIT appointment is not promised by this advertisement.

Online application — what to upload and how to submit

1. Open the IIT Kanpur R&D advertisement for P.Rect./R&D/2026/227 and follow the Google Form linked in its Application Process section.
2. Complete the form with accurate personal, academic and fieldwork information. The exact on-screen questions are controlled by the form and are not reproduced in the advertisement.
3. Upload your CV and copies of relevant certificates as required by the official advertisement. Where applicable, support the fieldwork experience claimed in the CV with the available records.
4. Review the form carefully and complete submission by 30 November 2026. The notice gives no closing time, so do not assume that applications remain open until midnight.
5. Retain any acknowledgement or copy of the submitted information that the Google Form makes available.

The notice does not ask applicants to send a postal hard copy to the Associate Professor, and it does not specify a recruitment fee. An unspecified fee must not be interpreted as a promise that all charges are waived; use only the instructions actually shown by IIT Kanpur's linked application form.

Official application form: https://forms.gle/zpk2eAkTBEn2HXG98

Full official advertisement: https://www.iitk.ac.in/dord/project/eco-fa-06-01-26.html

Selection, interview and examination information

The source does not publish a selection sequence, a written examination, CBT, interview schedule, paper pattern, syllabus, marking system or qualifying cutoff. This is a field-research recruitment, but the absence of an announced written examination must not be misrepresented as proof that an interview is the only possible method. Applicants should follow subsequent communications from the Department of Economic Sciences for any selection instructions.

No admit card, answer key, merit list, result publication or document-verification date is announced with the original advertisement. The application deadline of 30 November 2026 should not be confused with a scheduled examination or interview date.

Is this role a good fit for you?

The strongest fit is a graduate who can demonstrate actual person-to-person field surveying and accurate research documentation, is comfortable travelling across Kanpur city and can work constructively with a multidisciplinary study team. A degree-holder whose only experience is unrelated office-based clerical work should first assess whether their work meets the stated fieldwork requirement; the institute specifically requires field-based surveys as well as the degree.

Applicants interested in healthcare systems research should understand that the job involves observation and evidence gathering, not necessarily clinical treatment or a healthcare practitioner appointment. The notice does not grant clinical duties or specify any medical licence. The central challenge is to collect useful, ethical, well-documented information that lets the research team analyse how urban primary healthcare is experienced and delivered.

Practical questions to resolve before appointment

The notice does not state the daily work hours, detailed survey sites, transport reimbursements, number of travel days, insurance, leave benefits, interview date or any extension policy beyond the initial one-year term. Those matters are appropriate to clarify directly with the institution once a candidate is contacted. They should not be inferred from arrangements used for other IIT Kanpur projects.

Summary: 10 Field Worker vacancies, a Bachelor's degree plus relevant fieldwork/survey experience, a consolidated scale shown as ₹10,800–₹1,100–₹50,400, temporary appointment initially for one year, and online applications closing 30 November 2026. The recruitment is under Advertisement P.Rect./R&D/2026/227 in IIT Kanpur's Department of Economic Sciences.