Have you ever been intrigued by the secrets of the universe? Have the mysteries of the origin of life ever baffled you? Have you always wished you could find answers to questions human kind has been asking for generations? If the answer to any one of these is yes, and you have a science background, you could decide not to jump on the bandwagon and appear for the joint entrance exams for engineering or medical studies. Instead, you can take the path less trodden by opting for research as a career.

That is exactly what Debarati De did. She was a topper in MSc physics from Calcutta University and then joined the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) as a junior research fellow (JRF) in 2004. “I always wanted to probe the mysteries of the universe,” De says. Now a senior research fellow, De is working in the field of astrophysics, focusing on the study of the dense matter in neutron stars.

De is just one example of young men and women who are showing a renewed interest in pursuing a career in research. “Many students want to pursue scientific research now, thanks to the rise in the number of research institutes and fellowships and in the amount of the fellowship money being offered,” says Professor Partho Majumdar, head of the human genetics unit at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Calcutta.

Today, educational and research institutes are also doing their best to generate interest in research among students. “MSc and even BSc students are now being given the opportunity to pursue projects in research institutes, which was rare even a few years back,” says De. The Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Calcutta, for instance, offers summer projects to MSc students where they can work with a research team for six months.

These initiatives have helped to generate students’ interest in scientific research. Anindyo Roy Chowdhury had his first brush with string theory during his student days at Calcutta University (CU).

Now, he is doing his PhD on string theory at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. “While I was doing my BSc at Asutosh College, I became interested in the problem of unification of the forces of nature. At Rajabazar Science College, CU, I continued my studies on particle physics and general relativity and subsequently came to know about the prospects of research in the area of string theory,” says Roy Chowdhury.

Foreign collaboration

There is also an increased opportunity for young researchers to visit and collaborate with research institutes abroad. De is in Germany right now on an invitation from Frankfurt University for collaborating with a team of astrophysicists there. Roy Chowdhury too has had the chance to present his work in Iran and France, apart from several other Indian institutes.

The ideal way to begin pursuing a career in research is to get a junior research fellowship (JRF). Most research institutes hold their own internal examinations, along with gruelling interview sessions, to select JRFs. Some institutes, like the IICB, also choose candidates on the basis of their NET or GATE scores. While a JRF can start off with a fellowship of Rs 8,000, a research associate can expect to earn more than Rs 14,000 a month. At the ISI, “exceptional candidates” can even start with Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000 a month.

Opportunities galore

Apart from academics, a research career can also throw up opportunities in industry. If the research subject happens to be in the fields of microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology or chemistry, there are opportunities galore in industries like pharmaceuticals and genetic drugs manufacturing. Here the starting salaries could be anything between Rs 16,000 and Rs 40,000 a month. “In the long term, earning Rs 25 lakh to 40 lakhs per annum is commonplace for a talented candidate,” says Prof. Majumdar.

But a career in research may not be roses all the way. “It can be either very good or very bleak,” warns Parongama Sen, a reader at the department of physics at Rajabazar Science College, Calcutta. “One has to be extremely focused and motivated to make a mark here,” she says. Agrees Moushumi Majumder, a JRF at the ISI’s Human Genetics Unit: “One should be ready to make a lot of personal sacrifices in this profession.” Besides, “even after five or six years of backbreaking work, you might end up with no significant findings. Things can get really frustrating then,” she adds.

But the attractions of the career outweigh the drawbacks. And that is what prompted Majumder to give up a well-paid job as the head of quality control at the marine division of IFB Agro and pursue research on oral cancer instead. What are her plans once her fellowship term is over? “Can there be an end to research or the search for the unknown?” she shoots back.

Some premier research institutes in India

S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Calcutta
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta
Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai
Harish Chandra Research Institute (HRI), Allahabad
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore
Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangalore
The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai
The Institute of Physics (IOP), Bhubaneswar