Ph.D Program
The PhD program at Plaksha puts emphasis on grand challenges including health, agriculture, water security, clean energy, etc. that cut across several disciplines, and faculty members are actively engaged in research in these disciplines.
Ph.D Program
Overview
Responsibilities
Eligibility criteria
Admissions process
Compensation and benefits
How to apply
Plaksha – DaveAI PhD Fellowship
Overview
Overview
The PhD program at Plaksha puts emphasis on grand challenges including health, agriculture, water security, clean energy, etc. that cut across several disciplines, and faculty members are actively engaged in research in these disciplines.
We invite applications for a PhD program with a generous stipend and benefits. We are looking for candidates, who are highly motivated to do cutting-edge research and innovation.
For details about the key features of the program please click on ‘PhD PROGRAM GUIDELINES’ below.
Research Areas for PhD at Plaksha

Responsibilities
Responsibilities
PhD scholars responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Conducting cutting edge original research in collaboration with their research supervisor(s).
- Communicating their research in top-tier peer reviewed journals and participating in leading conferences of their field of study; creating new technologies, machines, IPR, etc.
- Teaching assistance up to 20 hours per week including (among others) supervision of students’ lab-work, conducting recitations/tutorials, grading assignments, quizzes, or lab reports, data collection and/or analysis, maintenance of LMS and other administrative duties as required, for the duration of the PhD program.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria
Open to brilliant individuals desirous of starting their career in academia. The program is very selective and only those who have a genuine interest in pursuing research will be selected. Candidates with the following qualifications are eligible to apply for the PhD program:
- Masters degree (MA, MCom, MSc, MTech, MPhil or dual BS+MS degree) or a Masters equivalent program in a related field of study from a recognized university in India or abroad with at least 60% (or equivalent) score in the most recent degree program.
- B.E. /B. Tech. or equivalent degree from a recognized university in India or abroad with a good academic record (CGPA/ CPI score of 7.5 out of 10 or equivalent).
Preference will be given to those applicants who have qualified in at least one of the following exams: NET/ GATE/ IIT-JAM/ GRE, and/ or have demonstrated research potential through publications in recognized journals.
Research interests should preferably align with our thrust areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, robotics and cyber-physical systems, sensors, IoT, biological systems, bioinformatics, engineering ethics, and humanities among others. For more details and specific eligibility requirements of research areas, please click on‘Research Area Specifications’
below.Admissions process
Admissions process
The selection process is rigorous and aims to understand the journey of the applicant- academic, personal, and professional – to ensure that they are a good fit for the program. The steps involved and tentative timelines are as follows:
Step – 1: Application form to be completed by May 15, 2022.
Step – 2: Completed applications are reviewed by a faculty panel and shortlisted for interviews. Kindly note that certain candidates might be required to complete a written test as per faculty requirements prior to the interviews. The details for the same will be communicated to shortlisted candidates.
Step – 3: Interviews at Plaksha will be scheduled in the month of May and June. Exact dates will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates.
Candidates selected to the PhD program will be intimated in person.Compensation and benefits
Compensation and benefits
PhD scholars will receive a monthly stipend of INR 60,000 in their first and second years, and INR 70,000 after completion of their second year for subsequent years. This support is available for a total of 4 years subject to successful annual review of their academic progress, with a possible extension of one year. This support is available for students that are not being sponsored by government/semi-government bodies, industry or international organizations.
All PhD scholars will be eligible to apply for a full year of international fellowship at partnering institutions to undertake their research. The support in this fellowship may include air fare, and a monthly stipend commensurate with living expenses at the host institute.
Scholars will also be eligible to apply for a conference/ workshop related travel allowance of upto INR 2,00,000 during the entire duration of their doctoral program.
For more information regarding compensation and benefits please click on ‘PhD PROGRAM GUIDELINES’ below.How to apply
How to apply
The application portal can be accessed by clicking the ‘APPLY NOW’ button.
Applicants would be required to attach the following as a part of the form:- CV
- Details of two to five references who would be willing to write a letter of recommendation.
- Statement of Research Interest [limit of 1500 words] – please include your thoughts on why you are applying, your relevant skills and experience, your research interests, and your educational and career aspirations. You can choose upto 2 areas of interest for the application.
Plaksha – DaveAI PhD Fellowship
Plaksha – DaveAI PhD Fellowship
Plaksha University and DaveAI are offering a joint PhD in Artificial Intelligence. Potential research themes include:
- Emotional expression in Audiovisual Avatars
- Multi-party turn taking in Metaverse interactions
- Attention based models for domain specific dialogue management for NPCs in metaverse
Compensations and benefits include:
- Monthly stipend of INR 90,000 in first two years; INR 1,05,000 for the next two years
- Full tuition fee waiver
- Full tuition fee waiver
- Eligible for a full year of international fellowship to support research
- Conference related travel allowance up to INR 2,00,000 every year
Educational and skills requirement for Plaksha – DaveAI PhD Fellowship:
- Bachelor’s/master’s in engineering/technology with a strong background in Computer Science (CS), Applied Mathematics or Computational Physics and an aptitude to do good scientific research
- Programming skills in any one language is mandatory
- Research experience and publications in Artificial Intelligence is a plus