Deba StudentFaculty Talk

Turning the Tables: Journey from a Ph.
D Student
to an IIT Faculty Member
Debapratim Ghosh
debapratim@iitbbs.ac.in
Assistant Professor
School of Electrical Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
2018
Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Discussion Outline
I Background information of faculty positions in IITs
I Understanding the faculty selection process in the IITs
I Desired profiles of prospective faculty candidates
I Some example case studies
I What you can do to boost your profile

Background Information and Motivation–I
I There are a total of 23 IITs, segregated as:
Old IITs (founded/converted 1951–2001)– KGP, Bombay, Kanpur, Delhi,
Madras, Guwahati, and Roorkee
Newer, established IITs (founded 2008–09)– Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar,
Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Ropar, Patna, Indore, and Mandi

Old universities converted into IITs (2016)– ISM Dhanbad, and IT BHU

New IITs (founded 2015–16)– Goa, Dharwad, Bhilai, Jammu, Tirupati, and
Palakkad

Palakkad
I With each IIT having specialization in EE/ECE discipline, the demand for
good faculty members has increased drastically

Palakkad
I Every IIT expects its faculty members:
to be an excellent teacher and mentor to students
to take up the role of an independent researcher (PI), bring R&D funding,
and deliver with publications/patents/technology dissemination
to do administrative duties assigned by the Head of the school/department
and/or the deans/director of the institute
Palakkad
I Every IIT expects its faculty members:
to be an excellent teacher and mentor to students
to take up the role of an independent researcher (PI), bring R&D funding,
and deliver with publications/patents/technology dissemination
to do administrative duties assigned by the Head of the school/department
and/or the deans/director of the institute
Background Information and Motivation–II
Some benefits of being an IIT faculty member:
I Competitive salaries esp. after the 7th CPC (incl. DA, HRA, TA, tel.
allowance, medical, LTC and NPS benefits) with yearly increments
I Each IIT offers you a chance to write a project for a Seed grant,
generally funding up to | 20 lakhs

I Along with salary, most IITs offer you a Cumulative Professional
Development Allowance (CPDA) of | 3 lakhs for a period of 3 years

I The CPDA can be used for– IEEE membership, domestic/international
conference/workshop travel expenses, laptop, electronic accessories etc.

I You have full freedom to teach and design your course. Nobody questions
your teaching methods or course content

I Each time you teach a course, you learn something new. Thanks to your
own efforts, and the questions by students!

I Possibility to set up your own independent research, with some of the
best faculty colleagues the country has to offer

I Possibility to set up your own independent research, with some of the
best faculty colleagues the country has to offer

Faculty Selection Process in IITs–I
I Every school/department in IITs has a Faculty Search Committee (FSC),
that scrutinizes applications from prospective candidates
I Several factors are considered, and a consolidated shortlist of candidates
is prepared by the FSC. Factors include publications, awards, research
areas, recommendation letters etc.

I Every short-listed candidate is invited to the IIT to deliver a faculty
seminar, and for faculty interaction

I The audience for the seminar comprises of faculty members and
sometimes, M.Tech and Ph.D students

I Faculty seminars discuss the candidate’s current research work,
followed by future research plans. Courses that he/she can teach and
initiate, are also discussed

I Generally, the seminar lasts between 20 minutes to 1 hour (including Q&A).
This varies with the IIT. At the end, the faculty in the audience grade the
candidate (recommendation)
I Generally, the seminar lasts between 20 minutes to 1 hour (including Q&A).
This varies with the IIT. At the end, the faculty in the audience grade the
candidate (recommendation)
Faculty Selection Process in IITs–II
I Recommendations consist of multiple factors– clarity and depth in the
desired subject areas, a clear future research vision, communication skills,
compatibility with the IIT, and ability to become a good academician
I After the faculty seminar (or a series of seminars), the Head of the
school/department submits a list of recommended candidates to the
Dean (Faculty), and Director of the institute

I A selection committee is formed, chaired by the Director, to interview each
short-listed candidate. The committee consists of:
The Director (chairman ex-officio)
The Dean (faculty affairs)
President’s nominee
At least 2–3 faculty members from other IITs
The Head of the school/department concerned

I After the interviews, the committee submits a list of selected candidates to
the Board of Governors (BoG) for approval, and then the offer letters are
e-mailed/posted
I After the interviews, the committee submits a list of selected candidates to
the Board of Governors (BoG) for approval, and then the offer letters are
e-mailed/posted
Desired Profiles of Faculty Candidates
The official definition– “Ph.D degree with excellent academic records at all
levels, with good research profile and publications, and at least three years of
research experience post-Ph.D”
What this means is:
I B.Tech, M.Tech, and Ph.D degrees from good institutes/universities
I Good number/quality of publications in reputed journals at the Ph.D level,
and thereafter
I High marks/grades at all levels, starting from Class 10, with consistently
proven track record
I Postdoctoral research experience from a good university or research lab
But, exceptions are made. Each IIT emphasizes the above factors differently,
based on experience and requirements
Even if a candidate satisfies all above points, it does not guarantee selection!

Faculty Seminar Case Study Examples
A faculty candidate had the following profile:

I B.Tech from a State Govt. engineering college
I M.Tech and Ph.D in EE from an old IIT
I 2.5 years of postdoctoral research in a prestigious US university
Result– Not recommended. The candidate was too specialized in
bioinformatics, and proposed to teach/initiate only advanced courses in that
area. He could not answer basic questions in a related field.
Another candidate had the following profile:

I B.Tech from an old IIT
I Direct Ph.D from another old IIT
I Excellent publications in renowned peer-reviewed journals
Result– Not recommended. The candidate had poor communication skills;
no voice modulation, and his voice did not carry beyond the first row.

Faculty Seminar Case Study Examples
A faculty candidate had the following profile:

I B.Tech from a State Govt. engineering college
I M.Tech and Ph.D in EE from an old IIT
I 2.5 years of postdoctoral research in a prestigious US university
Result– Not recommended. The candidate was too specialized in
bioinformatics, and proposed to teach/initiate only advanced courses in that
area. He could not answer basic questions in a related field.
Another candidate had the following profile:

I B.Tech from an old IIT
I Direct Ph.D from another old IIT
I Excellent publications in renowned peer-reviewed journals
Result– Not recommended. The candidate had poor communication skills;
no voice modulation, and his voice did not carry beyond the first row.

Faculty Seminar Case Study Examples (cont’d..)
A third candidate had the following profile:
I B.Tech from an NIT
I M.Tech from an old IIT, and Ph.D from a prestigious US university
I 2+ years of postdoctoral research in the US; excellent communication skills
Result– Not recommended. Any guesses why?
Apart from your profile, the following things matter a lot:

I A clear R&D vision with reason (even if it is flawed)
I Clarity in speaking and presentation
I Genuine love for teaching; it comes out easily
I Specialization without losing knowledge diversity
I Hands-on skills emphasized
I Attitude towards questions asked
I Perception of a positive image around yourself
Faculty Seminar Case Study Examples (cont’d..)
A third candidate had the following profile:
I B.Tech from an NIT
I M.Tech from an old IIT, and Ph.D from a prestigious US university
I 2+ years of postdoctoral research in the US; excellent communication skills
Result– Not recommended. Any guesses why?
Apart from your profile, the following things matter a lot:

I A clear R&D vision with reason (even if it is flawed)
I Clarity in speaking and presentation
I Genuine love for teaching; it comes out easily
I Specialization without losing knowledge diversity
I Hands-on skills emphasized
I Attitude towards questions asked
I Perception of a positive image around yourself
Some Things to Keep in Mind
I Sometimes, IITs advertise the number of vacancies. But the selection

committee reserves the right to select any number of candidates, or not!
I Pros of joining a newer IIT– freedom to set-up and expand your R&D
independently, chances of rising up the administrative rank faster
I Cons– loaded with a number of additional responsibilities which are time

consuming, may take years to publish, transit campus woes



I Pros of joining an older IIT– R&D and basic infrastructure readily

available, (often) better students, lesser administrative work
I Cons– low probability of getting a Ph.D student directly, more expectations

to deliver results in short span



I Pros of joining an older IIT– R&D and basic infrastructure readily

available, (often) better students, lesser administrative work
I Cons– low probability of getting a Ph.D student directly, more expectations

to deliver results in short span

What You Can Do to Boost Your Profile
I Take your TA duty seriously. Give your full efforts during those 3–6
hours per week. You will find that TA duty is job training for the future!
I Try to pick your TA duty in an area that is not strictly related to your Ph.D.
At the end, it’s all about a wide skillset!
I Spend more time and efforts in lab TA duties. That is where more
student-TA-faculty discussions happen, and those interactions can shape
up your thought process, and help you sharpen up!
I Look forward to learning new things and incorporating those during the
course of your Ph.D. Don’t worry if those won’t be a part of your thesis;
focus on the new things to learn!
I Present your work to your peer group regularly, and listen to others’.
This improves communication skills. When there’s nothing to present, read
up a review paper in a related field and present it!
I If your spoken English is not strong, start speaking to your friends in
English. If your written English is not strong, start maintaining detailed
work logs and a diary!
Glimpses of IIT Bhubaneswar–Main Gate

Main Building

Mahanadi Hall of Residence (Boys’ Hostel)

Barunei Hills Seen from Main Gate Road

School of Electrical Sciences

Summer Sunset in the IITBBS Campus

Faculty Quarters and Subarnarekha Hall of
Residence (Girls’ Hostel) during Early Monsoon
All Photos courtesy: CLIX, Photography Society IIT Bhubaneswar

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Turning the Tables: Journey from a Ph.

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

I Background information of faculty positions in IITs

I Understanding the faculty selection process in the IITs

I Desired profiles of prospective faculty candidates

I Some example case studies

I What you can do to boost your profile

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

A faculty candidate had the following profile:

Another candidate had the following profile:

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

A faculty candidate had the following profile:

Another candidate had the following profile:

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Apart from your profile, the following things matter a lot:

Apart from your profile, the following things matter a lot:

I Sometimes, IITs advertise the number of vacancies. But the selection

I Cons– loaded with a number of additional responsibilities which are time

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

I Sometimes, IITs advertise the number of vacancies. But the selection

I Cons– loaded with a number of additional responsibilities which are time

I Pros of joining an older IIT– R&D and basic infrastructure readily

I Cons– low probability of getting a Ph.D student directly, more expectations

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

I Sometimes, IITs advertise the number of vacancies. But the selection

I Cons– loaded with a number of additional responsibilities which are time

I Pros of joining an older IIT– R&D and basic infrastructure readily

I Cons– low probability of getting a Ph.D student directly, more expectations

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

All Photos courtesy: CLIX, Photography Society IIT Bhubaneswar

Debapratim Ghosh School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar

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