Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) PhD Admission 2026 (Jan)

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) invites application for PhD Admission 2026 (Jan).

About CDFD

The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, is a research Institution under the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. BRIC – CDFD is a premier institute in the country, which provides services in the areas of DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics and performs cutting edge research in several frontier areas of modern biology.

Those admitted as Ph.D. Scholars would be encouraged to register under the PhD program of Regional Centre for Biotechnology.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Admission to the CDFD PhD-I-2026, the candidate must have:

• A Master’s degree in any branch of Science, Technology, or Agriculture OR MBBS from a recognized University / Institute.
• Qualified for a Junior Research Fellowship from CSIR / UGC / DBT / ICMR / DSTINSPIRE / UGC – RGNF or any other similar examination with fellowship.
  • Candidates having qualified for Project – JRF under the ICMR funded project Scheme [which is only for a period of two years] OR DBT JRF NET with a B.Tech. [Biotechnology] degree OR DBT JRF NET under DBT – B category list OR LS-NET qualification only in CSIR-UGC (NET) examination are NOT eligible to apply.
• A valid fellowship is an ABSOLUTE requirement for pursuing PhD at CDFD. However,
  • If a candidate’s fellowship result is AWAITED, the candidate must UPDATE the fellowship status positively before the first round of interview, via email to <rsp@cdfd.org.in>.
  • Though a candidate is allowed to submit application without having qualified valid fellowship, only those candidates who submit proof of having a valid fellowship will be eligible for first of interview.

Selection Procedure

Admission to PhD-I-2026 at CDFD will be based on a two-step selection process:

• I Round: ONLINE interview for the first round via video conference; scheduled to be held during 7-12 November 2025 (the exact dates will be informed along with the list of candidates shortlisted for the interview) and
• II Round: Interview for the second round “in person” at CDFD during 3 – 6 December, 2025 (the exact dates will be informed along with the list of candidates shortlisted for the interview)

The list of candidates shortlisted for:

• First round of interviews will be displayed on the website by 5th November, 2025.
• Second round of interviews will be displayed on the website by 13th November, 2025.

Subsequent to the second round of interviews, applicants will be encouraged to contact CDFD faculty either in person OR through email / phone to familiarize themselves with the research interests of the various faculty.

Application Procedure

• Interested candidates who fulfill the above conditions may register their names for PhD – I – 2026 admissions by applying in the prescribed application form online.
• It is mandatory to upload soft copies of certificates in support of date of birth, educational qualifications, reservation category (if applicable), and fellowship examination qualified.
• Please contact <rsp@cdfd.org.in> for any queries.

Note:

• CDFD’s Ph.D. Program is a fully residential program. The selected candidates will have to stay on campus.
• Mere fulfilment of the minimum requirements stipulated in the notification would not automatically entitle a candidate for selection. The decision of CDFD in this regard shall be final. Canvassing in any form and/or bringing in any influence, political or otherwise, will be treated as a disqualification.
• The fellowship MUST be valid at the time of joining (January / February 2026). A candidate who has activated fellowship elsewhere and wishes to transfer fellowship to CDFD will be eligible only if the fellowship was activated within 6 months from date of final interview.

• Last date for submitting online application: 28 October, 2025
• Display of shortlist for first round interview: 5 November, 2025
• Date(s) for first round of interview: 7 November, 2025 to 12 November, 2025
• Display of shortlist for second round of interview: 13 November, 2025
• Date(s) for second round of interview: 3 December, 2025 to 6 December, 2025

• Notification
• Guidelines
• Application
• CDFD Website