IISc PhD Admission 2026-27: Apply by October 26

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is accepting applications for its January 2027 mid-year PhD intake. The call covers regular Research PhD programmes and the External Registration Programme (ERP). The online form must be completed, and the fee must be paid, by 11:59 PM on October 26, 2026.

The IISc notice dated September 2, 2026, says the session will start on January 1, 2027. A corrigendum dated September 29 later removed Brain, Computation, and Data Science from this mid-year intake. Students should therefore check the department list before choosing a preference.

IISc PhD admission 2026-27: Important dates

Event	Date or deadline	What students should know
Online applications open	October 6, 2026	Research and ERP applications
Last date to submit and pay	October 26, 2026, by 11:59 PM IST	The website closes at 23:59 hours
Interview window	November 16 to 20, 2026 in the notice	The Important Dates page currently shows November 16 to 19. Follow the call letter and portal update if shortlisted.
Document verification at IISc	December 29, 2026	Date listed on the current Important Dates page
Session begins	January 1, 2027	January mid-year session
Last date for pending degree certificates	March 31, 2027	Only for candidates covered by the final-semester rule in the notice

The interview-date difference comes from two IISc pages. The admission notice lists November 16 to 20, while the Institute's Important Dates page lists November 16 to 19. Shortlisted candidates should treat the interview call letter or a newer portal notice as the final instruction.

Which PhD areas are included?

The regular Research PhD call includes selected departments in science and engineering, along with Energy, Mathematical Sciences, Cyber Physical Systems and Medical Sciences. The notice also lists Brain, Computation, and Data Science, but the September 29 corrigendum says that no students will be admitted to Brain, Computation, and Data Science in the January 2027 mid-year session.

Examples of departments named in the notice are Physics, Organic Chemistry, Neuroscience, Materials Research, Computer Science and Automation, Electrical Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering and Sustainable Technologies. The list is not a promise that every department has the same eligibility or research topic. Applicants should read the department page linked from the IISc admissions website.

Who can apply for the regular Research PhD?

Applicants need at least a second class, or an equivalent result, in the qualifying degree accepted by the department. The national test requirement changes with the degree and the entry mode.

Qualifying degree or background	Test condition in the notice
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Technology or a 4-year Bachelor of Science	Valid GATE or NET JRF is mandatory
Master's degree in Science, Economics, Geography, Psychology, Management, Commerce, Operations Research, Computer Science or Computer Applications	Valid GATE or NET JRF is mandatory
Master's degree in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Agriculture, Pharmacy or Veterinary Sciences	GATE, NET JRF or GPAT is desirable
Four-year degree from a Centrally Funded Technical Institution with CGPA 8 out of 10 or equivalent	GATE or NET JRF is desirable
MBBS, MD, MDS or Pharm D	NEET-PG, GATE or NET JRF is desirable
BPharm or BDS	GPAT or NET JRF for BPharm; NET JRF for BDS

The notice also has separate rules for candidates from professional societies, IISc's Life or Chemical Sciences master's programmes and the one-year M.Engg. programme. A national test score or certificate used for this intake must be valid on January 1, 2027. NET applicants must have JRF. Lectureship-only, Assistant Professorship, Category-2 or Category-3 qualification does not meet the NET JRF mode listed for this PhD call.

Final-semester students may apply if they complete all degree requirements by January 1, 2027 and submit the required certificates by March 31, 2027. SC and ST candidates get a relaxation from the minimum second class to pass class, as stated in the notice. EWS and OBC-NCL candidates must carry certificates issued on or after April 1, 2026, for the 2026-27 financial year.

What is the ERP PhD option?

The External Registration Programme is meant for people working in research and development organisations or industries, and for young faculty members of recognised engineering, agricultural, pharmaceutical, veterinary or medical colleges and universities.

ERP candidates must meet the academic rules for the department. A national test score is not compulsory for ERP, although IISc says scores such as GATE, NET JRF, DBT JRF, ICMR JRF and NBHM are desirable. The mid-year notice also requires two years of full-time employment as on January 1, 2027 and official sponsorship from the employer.

The ERP rules on the IISc website add important conditions. The employer must give an unconditional sponsorship, and the organisation must meet IISc's age and research-facility requirements. The applicant must also identify an IISc research supervisor and a joint supervisor from the organisation. Read those conditions before selecting ERP; a normal private-sector job without the required research setup may not fit this option.

Application fee and payment

Applicant group	Fee
General, OBC or EWS	Rs 800
SC, ST or PwD	Rs 400
ERP candidates, all categories	Rs 2,000

The fee is non-refundable. IISc accepts online payment through net banking, debit card, credit card and UPI. Bank or gateway charges are extra. The online instructions say that the form and payment must be completed before the deadline. Sending the form or paying the fee alone does not guarantee a call for the next stage.

How to complete the IISc application

Use the IISc Admissions website and open the Online Admissions Portal for PG and PhD applications. Keep a passport photograph and signature in JPG or JPEG format, each below 500 KB. The portal also asks for school and degree details, semester marks, national test details, ABC ID or APAAR ID and information about research papers, conferences, awards and certificates when applicable.

Applicants can work on the form across more than one session before the deadline. IISc allows only one application for the same programme. The portal lets regular applicants choose up to three preferences and ERP applicants choose one ERP preference. Check each preference carefully because changes to the order are not accepted after confirmation.

After reviewing the form, upload the photograph and signature, give the declaration, pay the fee and download the final application form from the dashboard. The draft form is only for checking and is not accepted as the final application.

What to do next

Read the September 2 IISc mid-year notice and the September 29 corrigendum before choosing a department.
Check your degree, national test and category certificate against the department rules.
If you choose ERP, arrange the employer sponsorship and supervisor details before starting the form.
Prepare the photo, signature, marksheets, test details and other records in the file sizes asked by the portal.
Submit the form and pay the fee before 11:59 PM on October 26, 2026, then download the final form.
Keep checking the registered email, IISc portal and call letter for the interview date and document-verification instructions.

IISc PhD admission 2026-27 FAQs

Is this the regular August PhD admission cycle?

No. This is a smaller mid-year intake for the session beginning in January 2027. The notice invites applications for regular Research PhD programmes and ERP.

Is M.Tech. (Research) available in this intake?

The current mid-year notice is for PhD programmes. IISc's international admissions page also says that M.Tech. (Research) is not available during the mid-year admission.

Can I apply with NET Lectureship only?

No. For the NET JRF mode, IISc requires JRF. The notice excludes Lectureship-only, Assistant Professorship, Category-2 and Category-3 qualification from that mode.