Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune is an autonomous teaching and research institute established in 2006 by the Government of India's Ministry of Education with the primary goal of integrating high-quality research with undergraduate teaching.

IISER Pune campus is spread over a 100-acre campus in Pashan, which is an educational and research hub of Pune with National Chemical Laboratory, Savitribai Phule Pune University and many other premier institutes in the vicinity. IISER Pune offers a 5-year BS-MS dual degree programme, Masters’ programmes and Integrated-PhD programmes for bachelor-level students, and PhD programmes for Masters’ level students.

Research and teaching are carried out by faculty members across the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Data Science, Earth and Climate Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Science Education. As of March 31, 2024, IISER Pune has 138 regular faculty members; 23 visiting, emeritus, guest, and adjunct faculty; and 1866 students (1149 BS-MS, 45 MSc, 166 Integrated-PhD, and 506 PhD students).

IISER Pune hosts two section-8 companies: AIC-SEED, which is an Atal Incubation Centre on the campus to help start-ups to test and scale-up technologies and support technology licensing / independent ventures, and I-Hub Quantum Technology Foundation to conduct research, support start-ups, and develop products in the area of quantum technology. IISER Pune actively pursues collaboration both nationally and internationally on topics in the frontiers of science and technology. The institute has established partnerships with >20 international universities and institutes. IISER Pune is a member organisation of the CERN Large Hadron Collider’s CMS Collaboration. IISER Pune is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and the Chemistry undergraduate program of the institute has been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Each year, several IISER Pune faculty members are recognised through awards and honours at the national and international levels, and students get selected to receive fellowships/awards to carry out summer projects and to present their work at international conferences.

IISER Pune voluntarily engages in academic and social outreach efforts focusing on the following outcomes: contributing to and improving primary education and teaching methods, informing the public about career and research opportunities in science, and spreading awareness about the impact of science on society. Through the Science Activity Centre, the Science Media Centre, and capacity-building projects hosted at the institute, IISER Pune has been engaged in a variety of outreach programmes catering to school and college students, teachers, and members of the public. Two multi-partner projects, MS-DEED and iRISE, initiated in 2021 and 2022, respectively, are engaged in teacher training and capacity-building programmes across Maharashtra and in other states in India, thus reaching out to educators and students.

As of May 2024, 1704 BS-MS (this includes 54 students who graduated with BS degree) students, 27 MSc students, 172 Integrated-PhD students (this includes 37 students who graduated with MS degree), and 446 PhD students have graduated from IISER Pune. Upon graduation, students typically find placement in prestigious research institutes in India and abroad with a large number of students choosing to pursue a PhD or a postdoctoral programme and some of them joining the industry.

A total of 4994 research papers have been published by IISER Pune faculty members since inception of the institute and as of December 2023. Since its inception and as of December 2023, IISER Pune has filed 85 patents, of which 65 are published, and 37 are granted. IISER Pune has been ranked 42 in the Overall category and 29 in the Research category of the 2024 India Rankings by the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework). NIRF assesses institutions using parameters that take into account teaching, research, graduation outcomes, and institutional practices such as utilisation of financial resources. IISER Pune is listed 13th in India, 171st in Asia Pacific, and 492nd globally for research output by the 2023 Nature Index Tables. IISER Pune is ranked 1201-1500 in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and 165 in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings.