The Visiting Student Programme is aimed at offering research experience to highly motivated students who are presently pursuing their undergraduate or Masters studies. Outstanding performance as a VSP student is the preferred course and is a necessary condition for being accepted to be a fixed term Research Assistant at RRI. The Visiting Student Programme runs throughout the year. There is also a separate Summer Student Programme that gives a specific number of students the opportunity to visit the Institute during the summer months.
FORMAT OF THE PROGRAMME
During the period of the visit, the student will work closely with at least one staff member of the Institute on a suitable project, or on a part of a project, as appropriate. The student's work and the interaction with the staff and the graduate students at the Institute are expected to provide her/him a flavour of the research pursuits at the Institute, in general, and a first-hand experience in research, in particular.
INTAKE
The total number of visiting students at a time would be limited by available projects/mentors and relevant resources. For this and other logistics reasons, the candidates are advised to apply at least two months in advance of their proposed time of visit.
DURATION
The duration may range, on a case-by-case basis, anywhere between 6-weeks to 6-months (extendable up to one year). The VSP programme at the Raman Research Institute runs throughout the year.
ELIGIBILITY
Students within 1 or 2 years of the end of their BSc, BE and MSc; particularly those students with the intention of pursuing research as a career are encouraged to apply. Students from Bangalore colleges, who are keen to work on part time basis for acquiring research experience at RRI, will also be considered.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Out station students joining this programme on a full time basis will be offered: a) Sleeper-class train fare to Bangalore from their place of stay, and also the return fare, for a single person; b) Allowance of Rs.12,000/- (Rupees twelve thousand only) per month of the visit duration to cover local expenses; and c) Institute will provide on all working days lunch free of cost.
Students will have to make their own arrangements for accommodation.
Students from Bangalore will be offered the above allowance, if they are part of this programme on a full-time basis. If they are planning to work on part-time basis (at least two days in a week), a support of Rs.1000/- per week will be given.
HOW TO APPLY
A potential VSP student is expected to go through the RRI homepage to get an idea of the research interests of the research staff (postdoctoral fellows and members of the research faculty). Then he/she should e-mail directly the research staff member of his/her choice seeking possibility of working on a project with him/her. The e-mail should contain information on the student's academic background and the kind of work that he/she would like to pursue.
The student should arrange for recommendation letters to be e-mailed directly to the relevant staff member only if the staff member requests recommendation letters to be sent to him/her. An incoming VSP student is expected to carry an ID card when he/she comes to the RRI.
