About Us

OPPORTUNITY HAS COME KNOCKING IN THE FORM OF
The IITM Young Research Fellow Program

ITM Young Research Fellow program is a one-of-a-kind program with a mission to encourage highly motivated undergraduate students to embrace the vibrant ongoing scientific research activity at IIT Madras. The year-long program is designed to provide immersive and intense scientific exploration opportunities for the students.
The participants will have the opportunity to choose and execute research projects in any academic department or center of excellence at IITM, purely based on their interest and aptitude. The students will be closely guided by the respective faculty member to ensure a successful and rewarding research endeavour. The young research fellows will also be supported and encouraged to publish their findings in peer-reviewed international journals and to present at high quality international conferences. The students will be mentored by select 79ers who will support them with advice on their career choices!

Both IITM and the 79ers are committed to ensuring the success of this unique program that has the capacity to transform theresearch ecosystem at IIT Madras!

The IITM YRF program strongly encourages all fifth semester undergraduate students, especially women undergraduates and students interested in inter-disciplinary research, to apply to this program. Due to the competitive nature of the YRF, please allow yourself enough time to prepare a good application, which by itself is valuable experience in identifying and articulating your research interests and how it matches with the chosen research project.
The IITM YRF focusses on inspiring students towards a life-long appreciation for research, and creating the opportunity for them to engage in the full research cycle at the highest levels.

Benefits
More than Just a Program

    For Faculty

The IITM YRF program is a win-win for both faculty members and students. Faculty members who choose to serve as guides for IITM YRF reflect the commitment of the Program to support the journey of students towards a strong and fulfilling research career.

Faculty do not normally get many opportunities to work closely with third year undergraduates on cutting-edge research. By giving academically promising students a taste of real research very early on, faculty guides will experience the rewards of kicking-off the research journey of these students.

All faculty members are encouraged to consider getting involved with the IITM YRF program. It is strongly recommended that potential faculty guides discuss their projects with any interested applicants who contact them, and also help review their applications, if requested to do so.

    For Students

The IITM YRF is a two-semester program, and is open to all 5th Semester B.Tech and Dual Degree students of IIT Madras. It is strongly recommended that prospective students go through the list of announced projects and identify the ones that they are interested in.
After some background reading, they should seek appointments with the corresponding faculty and discuss the details with them. The student application requires a clear articulation of the problem statement, in own words, based on the discussion and reading.
Any specific qualifications of the applicant relevant to the project should be highlighted in the application. In specific cases, it is also possible for students to propose projects for the IITM YRF.
However, it is up to the student to identify an appropriate faculty member who is capable of and interested in guiding them in the project. There are no specific academic prerequisites for the IITM YRF program, through individual projects may have a prerequisite requirement. Prospective students can choose to execute a research project of interest in any academic department or center of excellence at IITM. The program is best suited for undergraduate students who are deeply interested in the subject, and are willing to work very hard.
The IITM YRF program will cover research-related expenses during the fellowship year, as well as a monthly stipend for the student. It also provides funding for travel to high quality international conferences relevant to the research area.

    For IITM YRF AWARDEES

All IITM YRF awardees should register for the 9-credit "URP" in each semester of their involvement in the YRF, and these will count towards the overall credit requirement of their degree. Letter grades will be awarded at the end of each semester by the faculty guide. The specific research work schedule will be decided between the student and the faculty guide, as per the particular requirements of the project.

There will be a final poster showcase, with participation from industry partners and academicians. Apart from a description of your research, the poster is also expected to touch upon your motivation for undertaking your particular project. The IITM YRF project can be continued as the BTech/DD Project based on mutual interest and consent of the student and guide.