Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur
Type	Public
Established	2016
Chairperson	Sudhir Uttamlal Mehta
Director	Prof. Ashok K. Ganguli
Students	800+
Location	Berhampur, Odisha, India; 19°18′38″N 84°49′39″E / 19.310653°N 84.827539°E(transit campus)
Campus	200 acres
Nickname	IISER-BPR
Website	www.iiserbpr.ac.in

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur (IISER Berhampur) is an autonomous public research and science education institute in Berhampur, Odisha, India. The institute (established in 2016) is one of the 7 IISERs established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. IISER Berhampur is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India.^[1] The institute started functioning from 2016–17 academic year in the month of August.

IISER Berhampur offers a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BS-MS) dual-degree, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Integrated Ph.D. (i-Ph.D.) degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Sciences. Students can also pursue minors in fields such as Data Sciences, Bioengineering, and Engineering Physics. Additionally, IISER Berhampur provides opportunities for post-doctoral positions and various other roles, including Research Associate and Junior Research Fellow (JRF) project fellow.

History

Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) were created in 2006 through a proclamation of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, under the category of institutes of national importance, to promote quality education and research in basic sciences. Soon after the announcement, two of these institutes at Pune and Kolkata, respectively, were started in 2006. This was followed by institutes at Mohali (2007), Bhopal and Trivandrum (2008), Tirupati (2015) and Berhampur (2016). Each IISER is a degree granting autonomous institution with a prime focus to integrate science, education and research.^[2]

Campus

IISER Berhampur is currently operating from its temporary campus at Government ITI Berhampur while its permanent campus is under construction at Laudigram near Berhampur. The permanent campus spans 200 acres and overlooks the Bay of Bengal, located approximately 1 km from Garampeta Beach.

As of now, the permanent campus features functional boys' and girls' hostels, a kitchen-cum-dining hall, an amphitheater, a gymkhana, a lawn tennis court, a running track, a guest house, and several lecture halls.

Academic programs

IISER Berhampur initially offers an Integrated BS-MS program, Integrated PhD, and PhD programs. Admissions to these programs are coordinated with other IISERs through a Joint Admission Programme.

Admission to the BS-MS program is conducted via the IISER joint admission process, which includes two channels: the Joint Entrance Examination – Advanced (JEE-Advanced) and state and central board candidates, who must also take an additional IISER Aptitude Test. For the PhD programs, candidates can apply with either a master's degree in science or a bachelor's degree for the integrated PhD program. Applicants are screened through interviews and must have qualified a national level entrance exam for the PhD program in science, such as CSIR-NET, GATE, or JGEEBILS.

The faculty at IISER Berhampur is organized into various disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Data Science, and Earth & Environmental Sciences. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged across these disciplines.