Multiple Openings at BRIC-CDFD for Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics candidates

CDFD, an Institute of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, invites applications from Indian nationals for the following purely temporary vacancies in the research projects described below.

A) Project : Mission Program on Pediatric Rare Genetic Disorders (funded by Dept. of Biotechnology)
Brief description : PAN-India initiative involving 16 centres across the country. Project aims to develop an expanded program spanning diagnostics, research and counseling for "Pediatric rare genetic disorders”. Patients with undiagnosed genetic diseases are recruited through a network of collaborating centres. Whole exome or genome sequencing based analysis of patients and/or parent-offspring trios is performed using in-house bioinformatics pipeline. Novel genes/variants identified from the data analysis are further being characterised for their functional roles using cell lines or model organisms (www.praged.cdfd.org).

Research Associate - I
Age Limit : 40 years
Emoluments : Rs. 47,000 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : PhD in bioinformatics, molecular biology, cell biology, biotechnology or relevant scientific discipline.
Desirable Qualifications :
Experience in computational/bioinformatics tools used for NGS analysis particularly RNA-seq or ChIP-Seq, proficiency with using Linux and BASH or other similar shell, comfortable in developing code in Python and/or R for data analysis and visualization. (OR)
Experience in genomics, cell biology, biochemistry and/or molecular biology relevant for characterising novel variants/genes causing human genetic disorders.

Project Associate - I
Age Limit : 35 years
Emoluments : (i) Rs. 31,000/- + HRA to Scholars who are selected through (a) National Eligibility Tests - CSIR-UGC NET including lectureship (Assistant Professorship) or GATE or
(b) A selection process through National level examinations conducted by Central Government Departments and their Agencies and Institutions.
(ii) Rs. 25,000/- + HRA for others who do not fall under (i) above.
Essential Qualifications :
Master's Degree in Natural or Agricultural Sciences / MVSc or bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology or Medicine from a recognized University or equivalent
Desirable Qualifications :
Experience in next generation sequencing/microarray analysis and report making as well as development of pipelines for same.
(OR)
Experience in cell culture studies/molecular biology techniques (OR)
MSc Genetic Counseling (OR) Experience in Candida biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Proteomic analysis
Nature of Duty :
1. Molecular biology techniques including DNA and RNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and agarose gel electrophoresis to support research and diagnostic workflows.
2. Analysis of NGS data to identify disease causing variants
3. Sanger sequencing
4. Preparation of reports for patients and genetic counseling
5. Manuscript preparation

Project Technical Support -III
Age Limit : 35 years
Emoluments : Rs. 28,000 + HRA
Essential Qualifications :
Three Years Graduate in relevant subject / field + three Years’ experience or PG in relevant subject / field/For Engineering /TI / CS - First Class Four Years Graduate Degree + Three Years Experience.
Desirable Qualifications :
• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Finance, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, or Life Sciences with diploma/certification in project/financial management.
• Preference for candidates with experience Government Financial Rules (GFR), PFMS (Public Financial Management System), or equivalent.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in project administration or financial management, preferably in a government, academic, or R&D environment.
• Familiarity with budget preparation, utilization certificates (UCs), statement of expenditures (SoEs), and audit compliance.
Nature of Duty :
• Preparation and monitoring of project budgets, financial statements, and UCs/SoEs as per the funding agency’s guidelines.
• Maintenance of ledger books, expenditure registers, and inventory records.
• Coordination with institutional finance/account departments and government portals
like PFMS.
• Drafting correspondence, minutes, and reports related to the project’s financial and administrative matters.
• Ensuring compliance with institutional and funding agency norms and maintaining up-to-date documentation for audits.

(B) Project : A comprehensive biochemical and metabolomic approach to identify and classify variants underlying Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) in Indian patients (funded by ICMR).
Brief description : The project aims to characterise the identified novel genetic variations of LSD patients using enzyme assays, mass spectrometry-based assays, and patient-derived cell lines based studies. The multidisciplinary approach will lead to the development of a functional analysis pipeline leading to re-classification of Variants of Uncertain Significance which will help in carrier detection and prenatal diagnoses for these disorders.
The description of the positions, qualifications and nature of duties for each position is as follows :

Project Research Scientist-I (Non-Medical)
Age Limit : 35 years
Emoluments :. Rs. 56,000 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : First Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degree OR Second Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degrees with PhD OR For Engineering / IT / CS - First Class Graduate Degree of Four Years
Desirable Qualifications :
Patients sample handling, experience in cell culture, molecular biology techniques, protein purification methods
Nature of Duty :
Patient sample handling and processing. To perform enzyme assays for patient samples. Data analysis and coordination with collaborating centres. To develop and standardize the protein based assays (Transfection, HPLC, protein purification).

(C) Project : DBT-Apex Centre on UMMID Initiative (funded by DBT).
Brief description : The project envisages to establish an Apex centre for DBT-UMMID program which will be involved in creation and maintenance of a comprehensive website to obtain and collate the information from the existing DBT UMMID centres, validation and quality control for tests done at individual DBT UMMID centres for both diagnostic as well as screening of genetic diseases and impact analysis of ongoing and completed projects. This is a flagship project of Department of Biotechnology.

Senior Project Scientist
Emoluments : Rs. 60750 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : M.Tech./ MS(R) / MCA 1st class or equivalent in the appropriate discipline OR B.Tech./ M.Sc./ Post Graduate in relevant discipline (all first class or equivalent) with 3 years’ experience.
Desirable qualifications :
• Ph.D. in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Candidates with an additional degree or formal training in Project Management, Public Administration, Finance, or Technology Management will be preferred.
• Experience in handling R&D project management, especially involving government- funded biotechnology or biomedical projects.
• Demonstrated experience in managing large-scale, multi-institutional or multi¬disciplinary scientific projects.
• Strong understanding of government financial systems such as GFR, PFMS, and procurement policies.
• Skilled in preparing utilization certificates (UCs), Statement of Expenditures (SoEs), and compliance documents
• Proficient in scientific program planning, monitoring & evaluation, and preparing progress and financial reports for stakeholders.
• Ability to coordinate with government agencies, academic institutions, vendors, and internal project teams.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint, and familiarity with data/project management tools.
• Familiarity with research ethics, regulatory guidelines, and compliance requirements in the biotechnology sector.

Project Scientist
Emoluments : Rs. 47,790 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : B.Tech./ M.Sc. / M.C.A./Post Graduate in relevant discipline having 1st class or equivalent in the appropriate discipline.
Desirable qualifications : • Ph.D. or M.Tech/M.Sc. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related disciplines.
• Preference will be given to candidates with interdisciplinary training involving both life sciences and computer/data sciences.
• At least 2-5 years of relevant experience (including Ph.D. duration, where applicable) in: Website development and content management systems (CMS), Biological databases—designing, developing, and managing data pipelines, Bioinformatics tools and workflows for genomics, proteomics, or systems biology.
• Technical Skills : Proficiency in web development languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and frameworks like Django or Flask, Database design and management using MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB, Proficiency in bioinformatics programming languages such as Python, R, or Perl, Familiarity with Linux/Unix environments and command-line tools used in bioinformatics.
• Bioinformatics Expertise: Hands-on experience in NGS data analysis, genome annotation, sequence alignment, and functional genomics, Knowledge of public bioinformatics databases (e.g., NCBI, Ensembl) and tools (e.g., BLAST, Bioconductor, Galaxy).

Senior Project Assistant
Emoluments : Rs. 47,790 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : B.Tech./ B.E./AMIE or equivalent OR Technical Diploma (3 years duration) / Graduate Degree in appropriate discipline with 5 years relevant work. In exceptional cases ITI (2 years duration) with 11 years of work experience in relevant field may also be considered.
Desirable Qualifications : • Strong understanding of government financial systems such as GFR, PFMS, and procurement policies. • Skilled in preparing utilization certificates (UCs), Statement of Expenditures (SoEs), and compliance documents
• Ability to coordinate with government agencies, academic institutions, vendors, and internal project teams.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint, and familiarity with data/project management tools.
• Familiarity with research ethics, regulatory guidelines, and compliance requirements in the biotechnology sector.

Project Assistant
Emoluments : Rs. 39,420 + HRA
Essential Qualifications : Diploma (3 years duration) / Graduate Degree in appropriate discipline with 2 years relevant field. OR ITI (2 years duration) in relevant trade with 8 years relevant work experience.
Desirable Qualifications :
• Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or related life sciences field.
• Hands-on experience with DNA/RNA extraction, PCR/qPCR, gel electrophoresis, sanger sequencing, genotyping and spectrophotometry.
• Hands on experience in ELISA baaed biochemical tests
• Proficiency in quality control protocols for nucleic acid samples.
• Knowledge of biosample handling, storage protocols, and chain of custody documentation.
• Experience in working under GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) or ISO 15189/ISO 17025 standards is highly desirable.
• Ability to maintain accurate laboratory records, QC logs, and SOP compliance.
• 1–2 years of prior experience in a diagnostic or research lab involved in genetic testing or molecular diagnostics is preferred.
OR
• Relevant experience in Website development and content management systems (CMS), Biological databases—designing, developing, and managing data pipelines, Bioinformatics tools and workflows for genomics, proteomics, or systems biology.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in web development languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and frameworks like Django or Flask, Database design and management using MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB
• Proficiency in bioinformatics programming languages such as Python, R, or Perl, Familiarity with Linux/Unix environments and command-line tools used in bioinformatics

General Terms and Conditions
1. The vacancies against the positions shall be filled based on the vacancies available at the time of selection. If more vacancies with identical job requirements become available within one year after the selection, these can also be filled from among the candidates who are empanelled for the above positions.
2. Depending on the qualifications, experience and recommendations of the Selection Committee, the selected candidates may be placed in a scale and designation lower than the grade advertised/applied against. Emoluments of the candidates selected against the positions may vary depending upon the qualifications, experience, recommendations of the Selection Committee or emoluments sanctioned by the funding agency in the project.
3. Candidates selected against the positions will be expected to carry out research in the areas of Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Computational and Structural Biology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology or Molecular Biology.
4. Selection against the positions will not make the candidates with Master’s Degree, eligible to register for the Ph.D. degree.
5. All these positions are purely temporary and are initially for a period of six months or one year. These positions could be extended/terminated depending on the continuation of the project(s).
6. Reservation for SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped/Ex-service person/ EWS applicants will be as per Govt. of India rules.
7. Relaxation of age for SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped/Ex-service person/ Women applicants will be as per Govt. of India rules.
8. Mere fulfilling the minimum qualifications will not entitle the candidate for being called for interview. The applications will be screened by a committee based on research experience and requirement of each project. Only those candidates that are found suitable will be shortlisted to be interviewed through Video Conference. The decision of the Director, CDFD will be final in this respect and no correspondence will be entertained in this regard.
9. Any of the selected individuals may from time to time be assigned to perform any other duties commensurate with their qualifications, by the Director, CDFD.
Interested candidates, who fulfill the above conditions, should apply in the prescribed application form ONLINE, wherein the candidate is also required to submit a Statement of Purpose (maximum 200 words), emphasizing how his/her experience/expertise will contribute to research programs of CDFD. The link for the application form is available at (Click here for online link). Please upload soft copies of certificates in support of date of birth, educational qualifications, reservation category (if applicable). Please contact <empcrcrmt@cdfd.org.in> for any queries.

Incomplete applications, applications without Statement of Purpose, and applications without copies of certificates in support of date of birth / educational qualifications / experience / reservation category (if applicable) or the applications received after the last date are liable to be rejected.

The last date for submitting online applications is 12.06.2025