National Institute of Advanced Studies – NIAS PhD Admission 2022: Dates, Application form

NIAS PhD Admission 2022 – National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru invites applications for PhD admission for session 2022-23.

Check more details on NIAS PhD Admission 2022 here.

NIAS Doctoral Program

The National Institute of Advanced Studies – NIAS – was conceived and established in 1988 by the vision and initiative of the late Mr J R D Tata primarily to nurture a broad base of scholars, managers and leaders to address complex and important challenges faced by society through interdisciplinary approaches, as well as to conduct advanced multidisciplinary research in areas of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering, as well as in conflict and security studies.

The Institute promotes transdisciplinary research and builds synergy within and across disciplines with meaningful interactions. NIAS has thus been recognised as an “Institute of Exceptional Repute” by the NITI Aayog.

NIAS is looking for exceptionally motivated students, interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research in conflict and security studies, natural and engineering sciences, social sciences, humanities or the arts.

Unencumbered by the constraints of traditional disciplinary doctoral research, NIAS doctoral students have a unique opportunity to broaden their intellectual horizons, even beyond the limits of the domains listed below.

NIAS not only values such cross-pollination of ideas but encourages and strongly supports its students to develop interdisciplinary approaches to problems that span academic disciplines. This interdisciplinary ethos is also reflected in the work of its faculty and research scholars over the years.

The Institute is recognised by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), from which students receive their doctoral degrees. A limited number of institutional scholarships are available for exceptionally bright and motivated students.

School & Area To Apply

• School of Conflict & Security Studies
  • Conflict Studies; Internal Conflicts in India; People’s Movements; Democracy and Development.
  • Maritime Security of the Indo-Pacific Region; Maritime Domain Awareness in the Indian Ocean.
  • Geospatial Technologies in Strategic Studies and National Security; Geospatial Modelling and Remote Sensing Systems in Conflict Resolution and Security.
  • Inter-State and Intra-State Conflicts; Contemporary Pakistan; Maritime Governance, Blue Economy; and Ocean Health; New Technologies and International Relations.
• School of Humanities
  • Philosophy of Science; Philosophy of Social Science; Political and Social Philosophy; Epistemology
  • Scientific Theories of Consciousness; Brain-Inspired Artificial Intelligence; Causality; History of Indic Mathematics and Computation
  • Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS Analysis for Landscape Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Historical Geography, Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management
  • Ancient Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent; Indian Temple Architecture; Megaliths; Archaeoastronomy
  • Material Culture; Archaeology Sciences; Archaeometallurgy
• School of Natural Sciences and Engineering
  • Physics of Complex Systems; Nonlinear Dynamics and its Applications in Mathematical Modelling of Complex Phenomena in Living and Physical Systems
  • Role of Nuclear Power and Electricity Sector Optimisation Models in the Identification of Viable Pathways to Reach Net Zero in India; Environmental Governance in the Energy Sector; Air Quality Modelling; Energy Sector Regulation
  • Techno-Economic Analysis of Integrated Gas Combined Cycle (IGCC) for India’s Future Electricity Solutions; Techno-Economic Analysis of Industrial Value Chains of Critical Energy Materials for India’s Green Energy Aspirations
  • Science of Air Quality: Emissions Inventory of Air Pollutants; Pollution Impacts on Health and Ecosystems; Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change
  • Terrestrial Carbon Budget of India and its Spatial-Temporal Dynamics, using Remote Sensing, Historical Records and Maps, Field Data and Biosphere Models
  • Aquatic Ecosystems and Sustainability; Cumulative Impacts of Hazards on Socioecological Systems
  • Primate Cognition; Behaviour and Ecology; Human–Wildlife Conflict; Human–Animal Relations
  • Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Primate Demography and Life-History Studies; Social Network Analysis; More-than-Human Cognition, Cultures, Performance, and Heritage
  • Science Communication; Disaster Risk Communication; Citizen Science; Public Understanding of Science
• School of Social Sciences
  • Education and Marginalisation; Identity Studies; Sustainable Societies; Learning and Cognition; Collective Memory
  • Education, Nation and Identity Formation; Capital and Education; Education Policies
  • Urban Studies; Gender and Sexuality; Society and Culture
  • Development Studies; Rural and Urban Livelihoods; Rural and Agrarian Change; Migration and Urbanisation; Food and Nutritional Security; Social Policy
  • Regional Inequalities
  • Technology in Inequality and in the Political Economy of Development; Social Mobility and Subaltern Enquiries in Technological Change; Technology Policy in India

NIAS PhD Admission 2022 Important Dates

Eligibility Criteria for NIAS PhD Admission 2022

• Candidates those who have completed / are completing a Master’s/M Phil degree in any relevant subject in Natural Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, conflict and Security Studies, Social Sciences, Humanities or the Arts and with a consistently proven academic record, including a minimum of 55% marks (aggregate) or its equivalent grade.
• A relaxation of 5% of marks – from 55% to 50%, or an equivalent relaxation of grade, may be allowed for those belonging to SC, ST or those Differently Abled.
• Some field and/or research experience in the concerned areas will be preferred.

Financial Support

• A limited number of selected candidates will be eligible to receive a NIAS Fellowship, which will be available for a period of four years on an annually renewable basis.
• The NIAS Fellowship is currently fixed at INR 31,000 per month for the first two years and INR 35,000 per month from the third year, with an additional 24% per month as House Rent Allowance.
• Limited hostel seats are available on the NIAS campus for women.

NIAS PhD Admission 2022 Application Procedure

• Candidate has to apply online.
• All application details are available on NIAS website.

Selection Procedure

• Selection to the NIAS Doctoral Program will be based on a common online written test and two rounds of interviews.
• Candidates who have successfully passed the CSIR / DST INSPIRE / UGC NET examination, with an assured junior research fellowship, are particularly invited to apply. Such candidates are exempt from the online written examination although they must pass the two rounds of interviews.

NIAS PhD Admission 2022 Exam

Online Written Examination will be held on 26 May 2022. Applicants can check their mail for more details.

For more details and to apply online – visit

Previous Admissions

NIAS PhD Admission 2021

Important Dates

School & Area To Apply

• School of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• School of Conflict & Security Studies Programme
• School of Humanities
• School of Social Sciences