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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty variable components such as dearness allowance,
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty Application Process Since IIT GN is a new Institute, does it relax the requirements for faculty positions? IIT GN places great emphasis on the high quality of the faculty it hires. As the Institute is in its rapid development phase, these are the people who will lay the seeds for IIT GN to grow into an institution of exceptional repute, and the Institute will look to hire only the best faculty. I enjoy teaching and I am an excellent teacher, but research is not a big priority for me; (or conversely) I am passionate about research, and I find that teaching gets in the way. Is IIT GN the right place for me? One activity cannot be discounted at the expense of the other. At IIT GN teaching and research go hand in hand. Excellent research will inform teaching, and enable the Institute to graduate students at the forefront of knowledge. I am living outside India; do I have to come down to IIT GN for an interview? Interviews and presentations can be conducted through Skype at a mutually convenient time. Candidates are also welcome to visit the campus in case they are visiting India during the interview period. I will be defending my thesis soon (I don’t have the PhD degree yet), can I still apply? Yes, candidates with outstanding credentials can be considered and offered faculty position conditional on successful completion of PhD. I am a fresh PhD; what kind of appointment can I expect? Fresh PhD applicants with an excellent academic record, good communication skills, commitment to high quality undergraduate and post-graduate education, and potential for creative research will be considered for the position of Assistant Professor (on Contract). Please also see http://www.iitgn.ac.in/faculty-recruitment.htm I am a fresh PhD, interested in joining IIT GN. But should I consider doing a post-doc first? Would the terms be better? The decision to join immediately after PhD or after post-doc experience is a personal one. IITGN is open to recruit outstanding candidates with a PhD regardless of whether they have postdoctoral experience. What are the limitations of being on “contract” compared to being on the “regular” track? To expedite the hiring process, faculty members may be appointed on contract by a Standing Committee instead of the Selection Committee. The appointments made through the Standing Committee will be for a maximum period of two years. Candidates with less than three years of post-PhD experience are appointed on contract regardless of whether the appointment is through a Standing Committee or Selection Committee. Those appointed through the Standing Committee must be approved for continuation in regular positions by the Selection Committee. Benefits for regular and contract appointments are generally the same. Faculty members can also be appointed on annual contracts at a fixed, consolidated salary in which case the salary has no
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty variable components such as dearness allowance, house rent allowance, etc. or benefits such as leave travel concessions or children’s educational allowance. I have a PhD degree in a discipline not listed on the IIT GN website. Is IIT GN hiring in these areas? Yes, applications in disciplines other than those currently listed are welcome. More academic programs will be initiated as IIT GN ramps up expansion over the next few years. I am not an Indian citizen. Can I still apply for a position at IIT GN? Foreign nationals are welcome to apply for faculty positions, and may be appointed for limited duration of up to 5 years. Are employment opportunities available for spouses at IIT GN or in the neighborhood? Merit of the candidate is the main consideration, and IIT GN neither gives preference nor discriminates in hiring spouses. The Institute is located in an economically vibrant city and there are many opportunities for spouses in the neighborhood. How long will it take IIT GN to make me an offer? It takes anywhere between 2-4 months to consider faculty applications. However, contract appointments can be made within a month or two. How soon will I be expected to join after getting the offer? About three months, but we are flexible in considering requests for extension in joining time. Acceptance or rejection of the offer, however, is expected within one month of the date the offer is mde. Does IIT GN offer visiting appointments of short durations such as one semester or one year? Yes, IIT GN encourages qualified candidates to apply for such appointments. I am teaching in an NIT/University and I would like to gain experience of working as a faculty member in an IIT. Are such opportunities available at IIT GN? IIT GN welcomes faculty with excellent credentials from institutions such as NIT’s and other universities to be a visiting faculty with us for a semester or more. Are part-time faculty appointments available for deserving candidates? Yes, the Institute can explore flexible working arrangements with outstanding candidates who can contribute to IIT GN. I would like to spend a part of my sabbatical in India. What kind of opportunities are available at IIT GN? Academic planning to take a sabbatical at IIT GN for a semester or a year can teach one course per semester, and contribute their expertise to the growth of the Institution in its formative stages. Reasonable remuneration/honorarium, furnished accommodation and transportation to the Institute will be provided.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty Benefits Is there reimbursement for moving expenses? Yes, depending on the category of recruitment (visiting versus regular, from within India versus those joining from overseas), IITGN provides some financial support towards moving expenses. How much salary can one expect at IIT GN? Gross monthly emoluments including several allowances work out to Rs.104,867/-, Rs.94,265/-, Rs.69,812/- and Rs.49,531/- at the entry levels of the Professor, Assoc Professor, Asst Professor and Asst Professor (On Contract), respectively, as of April 2011. Depending on inflation rate, the gross emoluments are revised every six months, and are likely to be revised according to the new Dearness Allowance (DA) rates with effect from July 2011. What type of retirement benefits are available? The new pension scheme (NPS) is applicable to all faculty members who have been appointed after 1 Jan 2004. Faculty members must contribute 10% of the total of their Basic Pay, Academic Grade Pay, and Dearness Allowance through monthly salary deductions. The Institute will make an equal matching contribution. What are the medical benefits? During the period of service, a faculty member and his dependents are provided medical facilities at the IIT clinic. In case of illnesses which require hospitalization of a specialized nature (as determined by the Institute Doctor), the patient may be referred to one of the many hospitals in the city which are recognized by the Institute. The entitlement in the hospitals (i.e. the type of room or bed that can be availed) depends on the faculty member’s salary. In more expensive private hospitals 80% of the cost is reimbursed while in government hospitals and several others, 100% is reimbursable. Does IIT GN provide an allowance for children’s education? Faculty members on appointments in a pay scale are eligible for educational allowance of up to Rs 1000/- pm per school going child on submission of original receipts. What is the leave/vacation entitlement of faculty members at IIT GN? A faculty member is entitled to 8 days of casual leave in a given calendar year (pro-rated according to the date of joining) and 60 days of vacation leave per year which can be taken during the period declared as Institute vacation. Unused vacation leave may be converted to earned leave equal to half the remaining days of vacation leave. Earned leave can be accumulated to a maximum of 300 days and cashed at the time of retirement from IIT GN. What kind of additional benefits does IIT GN provide? Leave travel concession (LTC) is available as per Central Government rules. Faculty members are compensated for travel to their declared hometown in India, once in two years. There is also provision to travel to any location in India once in four years (in lieu of one of the hometown visits in a four year block).
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty Professional Development Incentives Does IITGN have start-up/seed grants available for new faculty? Yes, IIT GN encourages new faculty to submit well-planned proposals to the Institute, and start building up their research program at the earliest. How can a faculty member develop research facilities? Research proposals can include expenditures for research infrastructure, and can be submitted to the Institute or to external funding agencies. Is there a limit on the research initiation grant that IIT GN can give? There are no predefined limits. Every application is judged on merit. What incentives does IIT GN provide for research? IIT GN has established an Outstanding Research Fellowship award to encourage high quality research. The awardees get an honorarium of INR 15000 per month, in addition to their regular salary. The award is renewable annually up to three years. Is there any other funding for professional development? A professional development fund of INR 100,000 per year is available to all faculty members. The fund can be used to pay for books, professional memberships, conference travel, etc. The fund can be accumulated up to INR 300,000. Additional funds may be available for participation in international conference and meetings. Does the Institute recognize faculty’s exceptional achievements by way of higher salary, etc.? Excellence awards for teaching, research, administration and outreach have recently been constituted. Can faculty take up consultancies? IIT GN encourages faculty members to take up consultancy assignments, and no limits are imposed on income through consulting; additionally, the overheads charged by the Institute are modest. However, the consultancies must be conducted through the Institute, and should not be in the faculty member’s personal capacity.
Facilities on Campus What is the computer/Internet infrastructure like on campus? The Institute provides all faculty members with a PC connected to high speed broadband Internet, and a printer/copier. The high speed Internet facilitates Skype/video conferencing, and keeping in touch with colleagues and students at remote locations. The Institute also provides broadband data cards/modems for access to the Internet from home. What are the library facilities like?
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty The Library has a rapidly expanding collection of books including reference books, text books, CDs etc. The library also subscribes to research journals in electronic as well as printed formats. E-journals available with various reputed online scientific databases such as Science-Direct, IEEE, ASME, Scopus, Annual Reviews and JSTOR can be accessed. Mechanisms are available for access to scientific journals and reports, if not currently available at IITGN. Does the Institute provide apartments/flats to faculty? Or is there an allowance for housing included in salary/perks? What are average rental expenses? At present IIT GN provides accommodation to visiting faculty or guest faculty. For faculty on regular/contract appointment, the Institute provides guest house facilities for the first 30 days, while they look for suitable rental accommodation. Faculty are eligible for a House Rent Allowance in the range of INR 5200 – 11700 per month, depending on level of appointment. Rental flats/bungalows are easily available in the neighborhood with rents ranging from INR 6500 to 12000 per month.
Expectations from a faculty member Since IIT GN is a new Institute, when does it expect faculty to start their research? IIT GN attaches great importance to a vibrant research culture and expects its faculty members to initiate their research activity immediately after joining the Institute. How many days a week does a faculty member work? What are the office hours? The Institute follows a 5-day, 40 hours per week schedule for administrative offices. However, faculty members at IIT GN, as at any premier institute in the world, generally work way beyond the office hours. Are faculty members expected to write research proposals to funding agencies? Yes, Institute strongly encourages faculty to seek external funding for research. Securing external funding for research is a key catalyst for a vibrant research culture, developing institutional facilities, and training research man power. How many courses does a faculty member teach? Typically, faculty members are expected to teach an average of three courses per academic year. For a new faculty member, who is focused on building up his/her research work, teaching may be reduced to two courses per year.
IITGN and Ahmedabad Is IIT GN near Ahmedabad? Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat and Ahmedabad are about 30 km apart and are connected by an excellent multi-lane highway.The current temporary campus of IIT GN is centrally located between the two cities in the suburb of Chandkheda. Ahmedabad airport is a 15 minute drive from the Institute. The Institute will move to its new campus in about three years. The site is in Gandhinagar, in the vicinity of the Sabarmati river and the upcoming GIFT city.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty Is Ahmedabad well-connected for international travel? Domestic? It has direct international flight connections to Doha, Dubai, Singapore which are global hubs for other international destinations. It is very well connected by air, rail and road to other cities in India. The world bank has recently upheld the well-constructed highways in and around Ahmedabad as model road transportation infrastructure for cities to emulate. In the pipeline is the construction of a metro subway rail link between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. What kind of industries are near IIT GN, and is there scope for collaboration? IIT GN is situated in an economically vibrant region. Gujarat is the hub of the Indian pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The state also contributes a large share to the national petrochemicals and chemical sector output. The automobile industry has a big presence in Gujarat. The state is also a leading investor in green energy and environmental technologies. There are also several research and educational institutions, public and private sector companies in the vicinity. What is the neighborhood of IITGN and the infrastructure like? Ahmedabad is a 600-year old city which is vying for the status of UNESCO’s World Heritage City. The Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar area is rapidly expanding and has been recently classified as one of the fastest developing Tier II cities in India and has been listed as the 19th most rapidly growing city in the world. The city provides excellent infrastructure in terms of: - uninterrupted water supply, - uninterrupted power supply (there are no inverters/generators for power backup), - no traffic congestion, and wide and excellent roads for commuting, - safety for women and old people to roam around at freedom, and - Several supermarkets, vegetable markets, neighborhood shops The area near Chandkheda where the temporary IIT-GN campus is located has been undergoing an urban makeover recently with the construction of many high rise condominiums and apartment complexes. Are there good schools and day care centers conveniently located? There are many day care centers, pre-schools and schools in the nearby area. Schools follow the CBSE, ISCE or Gujarat State Board curriculum. Some of the schools in the vicinity of IIT-GN are, Kendriya Vidyalaya (CBSE), Poddar International School (CBSE), Doon Blossom School, Sakar English School (Gujarat state board), Riverside School , DPS Gandhinagar (CBSE). How is the cultural ambiance? Sapthak, a Hindustani classical music festival held during January each year features eminent artistes, and is a much anticipated event by classical music lovers. The spectacular 10th century Sun temple at Modhera is the venue of an annual dance festival. The Darpana Academy of Performing Arts is a well-known institution co-directed by Mallika Sarabhai. There are several good museums. What are the nearby tourist destinations? The Akshardham complex built by the Swaminarayan community in Gandhinagar is a popular tourist draw. Adalaj Vav is a 15th century stepwell with intricate carvings and sculptures, and is
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR FAQs for Prospective Faculty counted as one of the architectural marvels of Gujarat. A wonderful heritage walk is conducted by a dedicated group of volunteers in the old city of Ahmedabad, showcasing Hindu, Jain, and Muslim neighborhoods.
About IITGN Where is IITGN located and when was it set up? The first undergraduate intake was in July 2008. The Institute is temporarily housed in the campus of the Vishwakarma Government Engineering College (VGEC), in Chandkheda, Ahmedabad. It is midway between the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, which are about 30 kms apart. It is expected that the Institute will move to its new campus in Gandhinagar in about three years. You can follow the growth trajectory of the Institute from our quarterly newsletter Connections at: http://iitgn.ac.in/iit-newsletter.htm. What is the vision of IIT Gandhinagar? To be an Institution of excellence for creating and imparting knowledge at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and contribute to the development of the nation and humanity at large. The Vision and Mission statement of the Institute can be found at: http://iitgn.ac.in/pdf/Visionandmission.pdf. What are the expectations of IIT GN from its faculty? To excel in teaching and research and make a global impact. When does IIT GN plan to start M Tech and PhD programmes? IIT GN has been admitting PhD students since July 2009. The M.Tech programme in Civil and Chemical Engineering has also started at the Institute in July 2011.