PhD in Cryptography

I am looking for highly motivated Ph.D. candidates to work in the following research areas:

• Quantum Cryptography

• Post-Quantum Cryptography

• Applied Cryptography (Searchable Encryption, Privacy-Preserving Computation, Secure Cloud Computing, Encrypted Graph Analytics, etc.)

• Blockchain & Layer-2 Technologies

Eligibility: 

Candidates with a Master’s degree (M.Sc., M.S., M.Tech., etc.) in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, or related areas are highly preferred. Candidates with bachelor’s degree (B.E./B.Tech.) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electronics and Communication Engineering, or related disciplines, are also eligible to apply. For other eligibility criteria (such as age limits, minimum marks, etc.), please refer to the last advertisement. 

Having prior knowledge in Cryptography is not mandatory, 

Routes for Ph.D. Admission

1. Direct Route

   • Candidates with an independent fellowship for a Ph.D. program (e.g., CSIR/UGC-JRF, INSPIRE Fellowship,, etc.) can apply at any time of the year.

   • If interested, please apply via this link.

2. Regular Route

   • You may also apply through the regular admission process by submitting your application to IISER Thiruvananthapuram during the official Ph.D. admission cycles.

   • Applications will be screened, and shortlisted candidates will be invited for online interviews as per institutional policy.

   • The link to the last advertisement (i.e. Ph. D. Advertisement Varsha 2026) is here.

* For any query related to the application, drop a mail to my official mail id with subject titled "Query related to PhD, Direct route".

Internships

Currently, no funding is available for any type of internships. However, if someone is willing to pay the IISER Thiruvananthapuram internship fees, they can consider applying.

1. Research Internship (6 Months apprx.)
   Candidates seeking a master's project must have prior knowledge of cryptography, i.e., they must have taken at least one course in cryptography. Knowledge of the following will be an advantage:
   • Linear Algebra/ Abstract Algebra/ Number Theory/ Graph Theory/ Algorithms/ Programming in C/ Data Structures etc.
   • Applicants must apply by filling this research internship form.
   • Note: For IISER TVM students, they can just send a mail showing their interest.
      
2. Short-term Summer/Winter Internship (2 Months apprx.):
   Only students with strong coding skills, preferably in C, are encouraged to apply.
   • Applicants must apply by filling this short term internship form. 

Important Points:

• Accommodation: For both Research Internships and Summer/Winter Internships, it is mandatory to be on campus; online or work-from-home options are not allowed. However, I cannot guarantee on-campus accommodation, as it is subject to availability. Applicants may need to arrange their own accommodation.

• Restriction: Applicants focusing only on AI/ML related areas, and not interested in security aspects, are encouraged not to apply.

• Notification: Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.