ICMR Nursing JRF · CBT · 2 hours · AnnualLive mocks · daily

ICMR Nursing JRF 2026 — your stipend-funded gateway into nursing-PhD research

100 MCQs · 2 hours · +1 / -0.25 marking · ~₹31,000-35,000/month stipend + HRA. Our mocks are blueprint-mapped to the ICMR two-section pattern — and lean hard on the biostatistics and research-methods sub-section that decides most merit lists.

View ICMR Nursing JRF mock packsView 2026 syllabus
  • Aligned with ICMR · icmr.gov.in
  • PhD research pathway
  • JRF stipend-funded · ~₹31K + HRA

Hero photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

2 hours
Duration · 2-section CBT
100
Total MCQs · 50 + 50
See live
Application fee · ~₹1,500
1 / year
Annual · July notification
What is ICMR Nursing JRF

A nursing-stream fellowship into India's premier biomedical research council

The Indian Council of Medical Research recruits M.Sc. Nursing graduates as Junior Research Fellows attached to its 26 permanent institutes and regional centres. The fellowship funds your full Ph.D. timeline — stipend, HRA, contingency and conference travel.

  • Conducting body: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi.
  • Eligibility: M.Sc. Nursing (or ICMR-recognised equivalent) with min 55% aggregate · 50% for SC / ST / OBC / PwD.
  • Age limit: 32 years on closing date · standard category relaxations apply.
  • Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT) at ICMR-approved test centres across India.
  • Structure: Two sections — Section A (Aptitude · 50 MCQs) + Section B (Nursing-specific · 50 MCQs).
  • Marking: +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted. Maximum 100.
  • Stipend: ~₹31,000/month (JRF) → ~₹35,000/month (SRF after 2 years) + HRA + contingency.
2026 cycle · key dates
  • Notification releaseJuly (historical)
  • Application windowJuly-August
  • Admit card download~10 days before exam
  • CBT exam dayPer ICMR notification
  • Provisional answer key~1 week after exam
  • Final merit listOctober (historical)

Always confirm cycle dates against the official ICMR notification at icmr.gov.in.

Why ICMR Nursing JRF feels different

Research-method-heavy · fellowship-funded · vanishingly few seats

Biostats + epidemiology heavy

Section B leans into research methods, biostatistics and epidemiology — a sharp pivot away from the clinical recall of state nursing exams. Most candidates underprepare here.

Fellowship-funded Ph.D.

Unlike state recruitment exams, JRF directly funds your Ph.D. — stipend, HRA, contingency and conference travel — for up to 5 years across the JRF + SRF tiers.

~15-20 seats per cycle

ICMR's nursing-stream JRF intake is intentionally tiny — typically 15-20 fellows nationally per cycle. Cut-offs sit firmly in the top decile of attempters.

Negative-marking aware

Unlike FMGE (+1/0), ICMR JRF deducts 0.25 per wrong answer. Our mock player projects expected score after risk-adjusting your attempt strategy.

Our ICMR Nursing JRF library

What you get on PractiseExam.com

Two-section format

Every mock is exactly 100 MCQs — 50 Aptitude + 50 Nursing-specific — delivered in a 2-hour timed window with the same +1 / -0.25 scoring as the live CBT.

Biostats deep-dive bank

A dedicated MCQ bank for research methods, biostatistics and epidemiology — the single section that separates merit-list candidates from the rest.

ICMR-context explanations

Solution explanations cite ICMR guidelines, IndiaSPEND data and the NPCDCS / NHM frameworks that recur across the nursing-specific MCQ set.

Pricing

Mock packs · pay-as-you-go

Stack as many packs as you need across the single annual ICMR cycle. No subscription.

Pricing is being updated — please check back shortly.

More on ICMR Nursing JRF

Continue with the full prep guide

SyllabusExam patternEligibilityExam dates 2026Application formRegistration feePreparation strategyBest booksPrevious-year papersSample questionsPricingCut-off 2026Merit list 2026Exam centresStipend & HRAICMR institutes listCareer after JRF
Frequently asked

The most asked ICMR Nursing JRF questions

Who is eligible to apply for the ICMR Nursing JRF?+
You need an M.Sc. Nursing degree (or an ICMR-recognised equivalent) with a minimum aggregate of 55% (50% for SC / ST / OBC / PwD candidates). Final-year M.Sc. Nursing students are conditionally eligible provided they produce a passing certificate before the joining date. The upper age limit is 32 years on the closing date of the application window, with standard ICMR relaxations applied to reserved categories.
Which institutes and labs absorb ICMR Nursing JRFs?+
ICMR JRFs are placed across the 26 ICMR-recognised permanent institutes and regional centres — NIE Chennai, NIRRH Mumbai, NIRT Chennai, NICED Kolkata, RMRC Bhubaneswar, NIIH Mumbai and the AIIMS-linked ICMR projects, among others. Nursing-stream JRFs are typically attached to community health, public-health-nursing, palliative-care and tertiary-care nursing-research programmes within these institutes.
How does JRF → SRF progression work?+
You begin as a Junior Research Fellow drawing ~₹31,000 per month + HRA. After two years of satisfactory research output (reviewed by an internal ICMR committee + an external expert), you are upgraded to Senior Research Fellow with a stipend uplift to ~₹35,000 per month + HRA. The fellowship can continue for up to 5 years in aggregate — typically aligned with your Ph.D. timeline.
What exactly is the stipend, and is there HRA on top?+
ICMR Nursing JRF stipend is currently ₹31,000-35,000 per month (JRF/SRF tier) plus House Rent Allowance as per the host institute's city classification. Medical reimbursement, contingency grant (~₹20,000/year) and conference travel grants are also available — these are revised periodically by ICMR's HQ and the host institute usually publishes the latest slab on its notice board.
What age relaxation can I claim?+
Upper age limit is 32 years on the application closing date. Relaxations: SC / ST candidates +5 years, OBC (non-creamy) +3 years, PwD +5 years (additive with category), women candidates +5 years (in line with most ICMR HR notifications), ex-servicemen as per Government of India rules. Always validate the relaxation grid against the cycle-specific notification — ICMR refines the table most years.
How is the 100-MCQ paper weighted between Aptitude and Nursing-specific?+
Section A (Aptitude) carries 50 MCQs covering general knowledge, scientific phenomena, basic mathematics, logical reasoning and English comprehension. Section B (Nursing-specific) carries the remaining 50 MCQs spanning Medical-Surgical Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Obstetric & Gynaecological Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Nursing Research and Biostatistics. The research-methods and biostats sub-section is what most M.Sc. clinical graduates underestimate.
What happens after the fellowship ends?+
By the time your 5-year fellowship window closes, the realistic deliverables are: a submitted Ph.D. thesis, 2-4 peer-reviewed publications (typically Indian Journal of Medical Research, Indian Journal of Community Medicine or international nursing-research journals), and conference presentations. From there, faculty positions at nursing colleges, ICMR-scientist openings, WHO/UNICEF consulting roles and clinical-research-coordinator posts in CROs are the typical next steps.
100 MCQs · 2-hour CBT · biostats-focused mock bank

Find out if you can crack the ICMR Nursing JRF merit list

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