The key strength of the research programme at the School is its multi- and inter-disciplinary approach towards biological sciences. In general, there will be no restriction on the background of the student in terms of the qualifying degree. However, it is expected that the student’s prior academic career will demonstrate interest in the broad field of biological sciences.
After admission to the PhD programme, the background needed for carrying out research work by the students will be developed through a selection of courses from those developed for this PhD programme, and from existing courses in the Institute. The courses for the PhD programme will be evolving continuously with the aim of training the next generation of researchers in biological sciences. These courses will bring together a combination of experiment and theory for understanding how biological systems work from the cellular to the systems level.
A student applying to the programme can have a B.Tech., B.E., M.Tech., M.E., M. Sc. or M. S. in any discipline of science and engineering. Qualification in a National level fellowship program (CSIR/DBT/ICMR) is preferable, and required in some cases. The shortlisting criteria can be viewed here.
Interested/deserving candidates are encouraged to apply as per the procedures at the IIT Delhi admissions website. Selection of PhD students is based on a written test (for the eligible applicants) followed by an interview (of those screened from the written test).
The written test will examine the analytical ability of students with examples from biology, and does not require memorization of any biological terminologies.
A sample question paper is available here.