The Department of Biological Sciences at Ashoka University invites students to carry out cutting-edge research through its Ph.D. program in Biological Sciences. Six broad thematic areas characterize our research
These thematic areas encompass the diversity in biological systems – in both length and complexity. State-of-the-art research facilities and a unique liberal arts environment allow Ph.D. students to work on inter-disciplinary research projects drawing on the expertise of faculty members within and beyond the Biology Department.
Labs of Principal Investigators listed below will be recruiting PhD students this August 2022
Basudeb Maji (Prof. Shantanu Chowdhury, IGIB as Co-PI)
Sudipta Tung (Rama Akondy as Co-PI)
**These faculty members will be recruiting externally-funded students such as CSIR/UGC/DBT/ICAR/ICMR this cycle
For further details on the research of individual faculty members, please see here
A fixed number of attractive Ph.D. fellowships will be offered by Ashoka University to support the Ph.D. students (as per the rules and regulations). The fellowship includes a monthly stipend of INR 35,000 per month, a contingency grant of INR 20,000, and offers extensive teaching opportunities.
The monthly stipend and annual contingency grant given to Ph.D. students who receive other scholarships (from UGC, CSIR or a partner organization) will be decided based on terms covering the scholarship itself and as per the norms of the University.
Students will be provided off-campus housing and Rs. 7000 per month rent allowance towards this.
Applications to the Ph.D. program are invited from candidates with
** Candidates without a national eligibility test score who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology are eligible to appear for a written examination at Ashoka.
To apply to the biology Ph.D. program the applicants should complete an online application form. There is NO application fee.
Online applications should also include
1. A statement of research interests (maximum 2 pages)
The research statement should summarize your academic background and research training, indicating how the Ph.D program in biological sciences at Ashoka will enable you to realize your career goal/s. Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the department website to understand the lines of research being pursued at Ashoka before writing the research statement.
2. Two letters of recommendation
It is most helpful if letter writers know you well and are able to evaluate and attest your prior research experience/ training and your ability to perform at the graduate level. We prefer that the letter writers email us the letters from their official email addresses and include a phone number where we can reach out to for any clarification.
Referees may email the recommendation letters directly to phd.biology@ashoka.edu.in.
The subject of the email should be ‘Recommendation_<candidate’s name>’.
The applications for the 2022 August intake are now closed.
Application number | Name |
54-2023-10190 | K Mohan Reddy |
54-2023-10158 | Rahul Kumar |
54-2023-10193 | Tulaib Azam |
54-2023-10121 | Kaisar Nisar |
54-2023-10258 | Manan Pankaj Mehta |
54-2023-10088 | Abhishek |
54-2023-10020 | Pooja Chand |
54-2023-10229 | Harshita Rana |
54-2023-10206 | Kirnalee N. Patel |
54-2023-10237 | Bharti Golchha |
54-2023-10129 | Megha Rai |
The selection to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biology is primarily based on our evaluation of
Candidates without a national eligibility test score who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology are eligible to appear for a written examination at Ashoka. Please note that candidates taking the written examination for the ecology and evolution program will not be considered for Ph.D. studies in other research areas in the Biology (General) Ph.D. program.
The selection process has two stages
Stage -1: Completed applications are reviewed by the faculty panel and shortlisted for an online interview.
Stage- 2: Preliminary interview at Ashoka will be scheduled in the month of June (3rd week). Exact dates will be communicated to the selected candidates
Candidates selected to the PhD program will be intimated in person and their names will be advertised on the departmental website.
Associate Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi
Head of the Department, Biology, Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Jawaharlal Nehru University
INSA Senior Scientist, Ashoka University.
Ph.D. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
Assistant Professor, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Madurai Kamaraj University
Faculty Fellow, Ramalingaswami Fellow, Department of Biology
Ph.D. in Behavioral Ecology at the National Centre for Biological Science
Assistant Professor of Biology and Chemistry, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Indian Institute Of Chemical Biology
Visiting Professor, Trivedi School of Biosciences,
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship,
Ashoka University
Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellow. PhD Biochemistry, Washington State University, USA
Assistant Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
DBT-Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellow,
Ph.D. IISER Kolkata
Assistant Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Biology, Ashoka University
PhD University of Massachusetts
Dean, Research and Professor of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Assistant Professor of Biology, Co-ordinator (Ph.D. program in Biology) Ashoka University
DBT-Wellcome India Alliance Intermediate Fellow,
Ph.D. National University of Singapore
Assistant Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D., University of California Riverside
Associate Professor of Biology and Psychology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. Harvard University
Assistant Professor of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. University of Montreal
Visiting Professor of Biology (Honorary), Ashoka University
Ph.D. University of Cambridge
Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Early Career Fellow, Department of Biology, Ashoka University
Ph.D. IISER, Pune
Associate Professor of Biology, Ashoka University,
DBT-WellcomeTrust Senior Fellow,
Adjunct Faculty, Genetics department, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ph.D. CCMB, Hyderabad
1. Can I apply to the Biology Ph.D. program if I have not taken any national entrance examination?
YES. Candidates without a national eligibility test score who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology are eligible to appear for a written examination at Ashoka.
Selection to any of the other thematic areas as part of the Ph.D. program in Biology requires qualification in a national entrance examination mentioned before such as JGEEBILS/ INSPIRE/ BINC/ CSIR-UGC/ ICMR/ GATE/JEST. These scores have to be valid at the time of application. If you are not sure if your national examination is valid, please write to phd.biology@ashoka.edu.in or biophd.coordinator@ashoka.edu.in
2. I have a NET fellowship and would like to apply for Ph.D. in Biology. Is there a need for me to submit an application?
Yes, you still will be required to submit an application and the interviews thereafter. Having a NET fellowship gives you the freedom to drive your own research ideas in collaboration with the participating faculty members. Ashoka provides supplementary allowances to fellowship holders by means of contingency funds (in addition to that provided by the funding agency) and subsidized on-campus living facilities.
3. I am keen to pursue a Ph.D., however, I am unable to decide which lab I wish to join at the time of application?
This is perfectly fine. You need not have identified a lab/mentor to join at the time of application. Once you are admitted into the Ph.D. program, you will have the option to carry out brief rotation projects in 2 or 3 labs of your choice. You may take this opportunity to experience the research in those areas and then make a decision on the lab to carry out your thesis research.
4. Is it compulsory to submit letters of Recommendation?
Yes. It is an important component of your application dossier.
5. How can I submit letters of recommendation?
You will have to fill in the contact email of your referees in the application portal. Make sure that your referee is aware of your application and the deadlines.
6. How many Ph.D. positions are available?
There is no fixed number of positions available. The number of labs that can accommodate Ph.D. scholars every year varies.
7. Are there any teaching opportunities during the Ph.D. training?
Yes. All candidates admitted to the graduate program have the opportunity to hone their teaching skills by participating in various undergraduate lectures and laboratory courses.
8. Who are the participating faculty members in the biology department?
Biophysics and Biochemistry:
Cell & Developmental Biology:
Chronobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience:
Immunology and Synthetic Biology:
Mathematical & Computational Biology:
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology: