Introduction to National Institute of Immunology PhD Admission 2025-26

The BRIC-National Institute of Immunology (NII) invites applications from eligible candidates for its Ph.D. programme for the Academic Year 2025-26 WS (Winter-Session). NII is a BRIC institute and a DBT Organization. As an autonomous research institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, NII is committed to cutting-edge research.

The cutting-edge research at NII covers a broad range of interdisciplinary areas, including Immunology, Infectious and Chronic Disease Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology, and Computational Biology. This provides a rich and stimulating environment for doctoral studies in the National Institute of Immunology PhD Admission 2025-26 program. Selected candidates will be enrolled for the Ph.D. programme of NII in academic affiliation with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, Haryana.

National Institute of Immunology PhD Admission 2025-26: Important Dates

Minimum Eligibility Criteria for National Institute of Immunology PhD Admission 2025-26

1. Educational Qualification: Candidates must have a 4-year Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in any branch of science and technology (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics), or a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, or an equivalent degree, as per the norms of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB).
2. Minimum Score: A minimum of a 60% aggregate score or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination is required.
   • A 5% relaxation in aggregate scores is applicable for candidates from reserved categories [OBC (non-creamy layer; NCL), SC/ST, PwD, and EWS (who are not covered under the scheme of reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs)].
   • Rounding off the percentage score to the next integral value is not permitted.
3. Fellowship: Candidates must possess a valid 5-years doctoral fellowship sponsored by any Government-recognised agency such as UGC, CSIR, ICMR, or DBT. Students with a DST-INSPIRE fellowship are also eligible, provided the fellowship can be activated. Admission is contingent upon holding a valid fellowship tenable for a period of 5 years.
4. Appearing Candidates: Candidates who are appearing for the qualifying examination in the current academic year are eligible to apply; however, their admission will be provisional pending satisfactory fulfillment of the eligibility requirements at the time of joining.

Selection Procedure and Enrollment for National Institute of Immunology PhD Admission 2025-26

Candidates for the Ph.D. programme at NII will be selected exclusively through a two-round online interview process. The list of short-listed candidates for interviews will be made available on the NII website and the Notice Board of the Institute on November 14, 2025.

The selected candidates will be enrolled for the Ph.D. programme of NII in academic affiliation with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, Haryana.

Application Procedure & Fee Structure

1. Application Submission: Candidates must submit their applications only through the NII online application portal. The application facility is available on the NII website from September 29, 2025 to October 20, 2025.
2. Online Application Fee: The fee is non-refundable.

   Candidate Category	Fee Amount
   GENERAL/OBC (NCL) candidates	Rs. 600/-
   OBC/SC/ST/PwD/EWS candidates	Rs. 300/-

3. Personal Details Check: The candidate’s name and date of birth should match the corresponding entries in the Secondary School Certificate (10th) or equivalent.
4. Accuracy Check: Candidates must ensure that all information furnished in the online application is true and correct, as NII reserves the right to cancel the admission if any discrepancy is observed at any stage.

Reservations of Seats

Reservations of seats are applicable as per statutory norms:

• SC: 15%
• ST: 7.5%
• OBC (NCL): 27%
• Persons with Disability (PwD): 5% (to be done horizontally, as per the Government of India Guidelines/Policy)
• Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% for persons not covered under the scheme of reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs

Ph.D. Programme Details

• Programme Start Date: The Ph.D. programme will start on December 29, 2025.
• Laboratory Allotment: The allotment of laboratories and thesis supervisors will be completed by January 5, 2026, based on interactions with faculty members and mutual preference.
• Fellowship Activation: All candidates are required to activate their Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) immediately after joining the Institute (NII) from their respective funding agency (CSIR, UGC, ICMR, DBT, DST-Inspire).
• Accommodation: NII is a residential campus, and shared hostel accommodation will be provided to all students admitted to the Ph.D. programme.