Special Call for Faculty Positions - Understanding the Origins of human brain disorders

National Centre for Biological Sciences; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) invites applications for faculty positions to establish research programs that elucidate the origins of human brain disorders. These openings are aligned with NCBS’s emphasis on excellence across biology and related disciplines.

Candidates will be closely affiliated with the Centre For Brain and Mind (CBM) and may explore interdisciplinary approaches in genetics, neuroscience, and translational research.

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field and demonstrated research excellence.
• Postdoctoral experience of 3–6 years is considered for Assistant Professor; senior appointments require evidence of independent leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead an independent research program focused on origins of human brain disorders.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and contribute to CBM resources and platforms.

Job description

• Special Call for Faculty Positions - Understanding the Origins of human brain disorders

INVITING APPLICATIONS FOR FACULTY POSITIONS
for the evaluation period August 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

NCBS has faculty openings for exceptional candidates to start a research program aimed at understanding the origins of human brain disorders.

The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS; established in 1991; https://www.ncbs.res.in/ ) is a constituent of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, an autonomous body under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. NCBS is internationally recognised for its research excellence in biological sciences. Research at NCBS covers a diverse set of subjects spanning molecules to ecosystems, and including: Biochemistry, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Genetics and Development, Cellular Organization and Signalling, Neurobiology, Theory and Modelling of Biological Systems and Ecology and Evolution. The institute brings together researchers with a variety of backgrounds in natural sciences, mathematics and computer sciences to understand living systems and for the application of advanced knowledge to achieve larger social good.

NCBS is keen to consider applications from candidates with a proven record of excellence and who are interested in origins of human brain disorders. These faculty positions will be closely affiliated with ongoing research at the Centre For Brain and Mind (CBM) at NCBS ( https://www.ncbs.res.in/cbm/home ). Applications against the above advertisement may be made at any time before the end of the evaluation period.

1. Faculty positions available

We are looking to fill several new faculty positions. Candidates with 3-6 years of postdoctoral experience will be considered for an Assistant Professor position. Those with experience as tenured independent investigators will be considered for senior level appointments.

2. Research Priorities at CBM

The Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind (RNP-CBM) is a scientific venture to understand mental illness by harnessing the power of sophisticated clinical investigations, human genetics/genomics, and stem cell technology. RNP-CBM has assembled a discovery platform based on a cohort of individuals with a strong family history of mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance dependence and dementia). Specific resources available at RNP-CBM include clinical assessment data, structural and functional brain imaging, clinical electrophysiology along with genome sequence information and stem cell lines. Candidates will be expected to lead research programs which naturally develop from and enhance these resources.

Over the coming years, we aim to assemble a team of collaborative, interdisciplinary, scientific leaders, who will push understanding of these disorders at an international level. As a flagship program of the NCBS, science at CBM will be rooted in excellence, deep enquiry and fundamental understanding, together with an excellent clinical interface.

3. What goes into a research proposal?

The research proposal is a key part of the application. It is expected that the candidates will present a three-to-five-page plan for the research that their labs will pursue over the next five years. This proposal should describe a program, rather than a few projects/techniques. We expect proposals to be ambitious rather than safe and formulaic and aim to address important basic and medical questions in the context of disorders being studied by CBM. Candidates should specifically explain how their research program will build on CBM resources, and how they expect to further develop the capabilities of the CBM program highlighting the relevance and dependence of the proposed work to the discovery platform of RNP-CBM.Individuals with approaches involving human genetics, data science, neuroscience, physiology, cell and developmental biology, and large cohorts relating to these disorders are particularly encouraged to apply. Since this is a multi-institutional program, it is essential that the candidate be able to work in a collaborative and team science mode.

Uma Ramakrishnan
Dean of Faculty, NCBS

dean at ncbs dot res dot in