The road less travelled: My path to becoming a PI in India

Be ready for opportunities!

At a time when internet access was woefully limited, especially in rural areas, I got to know about the Summer Research Fellowship Programme offered by the Indian Academy of Sciences through a poster in my college library. I applied on the very last day of the deadline by post and was selected to work at the National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana. 

It was a happy moment for me but at the same time, I was worried whether my parents would allow me to go that far for two months. To my surprise, they did not hesitate. My father immediately booked my ticket to Manesar, considering my interest and my future. This moment marked the start of my research journey from a remote village in Tamil Nadu to many prestigious institutions across the country as my career progressed.

In addition to enhancing my CV, these experiences solidified my ambition to become a scientist. Although I graduated with a gold medal, I was still exploring options for the next phase. Serendipitously, I learnt of the newly launched DST-INSPIRE scholarship scheme through a newspaper advertisement and got selected. Another example of how opportunities knock on your door.

I joined the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru for my PhD, after long negotiations with my parents on the timeline. Before I had planned my PhD, my parents had already drafted a timeline for its duration, my marriage and other milestones. These timelines were impractical but fortunately, my project turned out well. I published two first author publications within three years, meeting the requirements to graduate. During my PhD, I also got married and had a baby too. Though winding up the PhD having an infant was difficult, the encouragement from my PhD supervisor, support from my entire family and the daycare facility on the NCBS campus significantly eased my burden. 

I believe that productivity at work improves when parents feel their children are safe. I wish for mandatory on-campus daycare systems at all institutions and workplaces, which could encourage more women researchers to engage and contribute to science in India.

Breaking the trend 

Although many PhD graduates pursue a postdoc abroad, I chose a different path considering my family and career. My daughter was just two years old and I needed to spend more time with the family. I decided to start my first postdoc in India, planning to go abroad for the second one later. I received both SERB-National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N‑PDF) and DBT-Research Associateship (RA) postdoc fellowships, and I opted for the former. However, the first postdoctoral training took longer than I anticipated. It proved to be an extraordinary tenure filled with challenges and plenty of scope for learning through experiences I might not have encountered even if I had gone abroad. 

I was involved in several projects and had a rewarding collaboration. I recognised my strengths and potential to work independently. My supportive and motivating postdoctoral mentor helped me understand the complexities of establishing and successfully running a lab. Throughout my postdoc, I developed the essential skills including designing projects, writing and reviewing manuscripts, crafting grant applications, mentoring interns, delivering talks, and organising events. 

Lockdown: Staying back, levelling up

I participated in YIM 2020 as a PDF, which changed my plans to go abroad for my second postdoc. Several postdocs who had returned to India talked about their struggles to secure academic positions and the effort they put into rebuilding their networks after spending many years overseas. This made me question the time and effort to relocate my family. Before I could think it through, the COVID-19 lockdown froze movement across borders. I decided to stay in India and strengthen myself to compete with my returning counterparts. I completed my postdoctoral projects, published my work, and used the period to write a research proposal, attend workshops, and start the application process. 

My applications were well received by top institutions and they invited me to deliver talks. Despite receiving positive feedback, the results were not so positive. Lack of international exposure being one of the reasons for rejection. I realised that obtaining independent fellowships might increase my chances of securing positions in academia. I applied for research grants and fellowships from DBT, DST, and DBT/​Wellcome Trust India Alliance. These fellowships are highly competitive since postdocs from both India and abroad can apply. I was awarded the DST-INSPIRE faculty fellowship followed by the DBT‑M. K. Bhan Young Researcher Fellowship. Suddenly my situation had shifted from ​“nothing in hand” to ​“options to choose from”. I chose to accept the DST-INSPIRE faculty fellowship, as it supports setting up an independent research lab. I joined Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bengaluru in October 2021, while the lockdown was still in effect. 

Building a team: Slow and steady!

IBAB provided me with most of the basic resources to kickstart my project. Within a few months, my team included four dissertation students from various institutes across the country and two project assistants.

Our very first experiment was successful in identifying a phenotype to work with. However, we were unable to progress faster as we ran out of resources for that year, having spent it on purchase of basic lab chemicals and other requirements. Reagents, antibodies and consumables – everything was too expensive. Understanding the importance of conscious fund management, I decided to decrease the group size, seek additional funding and prioritise. I designed a few computational projects so that the lab could function with minimal funding. In the meantime, I applied for extramural grants to expand my research interests. A few rejections later, I was awarded the highly competitive Core Research Grant from Anusandhan National Research Foundation (formerly SERB). Currently, I have two extramural grants, PhD students, and project interns, working on various aspects of aging and genomics. 

I trust that contributing to the growth of the next generation of scientists is the most rewarding part of research, motivating us to persevere despite challenges. I teach data analysis in genomics and microbiology at IBAB and organise workshops on advanced topics. We look forward to growing as a successful team in the coming years.

Pros and cons of being trained in India

Relocating to a different country for an extended period can be particularly challenging for women in science. It often leads to various logistical issues, such as the two-body problem (where both partners need employment), disruptions in their children’s education, and the loss of the family support system. 

Although international exposure can be valuable, pursuing an overseas postdoctoral position should neither be seen as the only path nor bias recruiters. Establishing international collaborations and attending workshops and conferences can serve as alternative ways to gain international experience. In my view, doing your postdoctoral training in India comes with its advantages and a few challenges:

Pros

• Prior exposure to the work culture, recruitment process, funding system, and research environments in India facilitates easier adaptation.

• Simpler to explore vacancies and visit recruiting institutions.

• Enhanced opportunity to interact and network with faculty members and peers from the recruiting institutions.

• Familiarity with others in the same field helps establish collaborations and assistance with projects.

• Being close to the family and home offers significant support, especially when raising a child. 

Cons

• Lack of exposure to an international research environment. 

• Some institutes prefer postdocs who have returned from abroad, so to compete without international training may require extraordinary skills.

• Relatively fewer fellowships/​research grants are available for PDFs trained in India. Some start-up grants are reserved for re-entry fellows. To my knowledge, there are no such fellowships/​grants that solely support postdocs trained in India.