The Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM 2025) serves as a dynamic platform for in-depth discussions on scientific practices and research culture in India. The final two days of YIM 2025 featured the postdoctoral fellow (PDF) satellite meeting, where institutional representatives from various public and privately funded Indian academic and research institutions presented talks on institutional policies, hiring requirements, and available research facilities. PDFs also had the opportunity to showcase their research work through 5‑minute lightning talks. 

To enhance engagement and collaboration, YIM 2025 also featured two interactive ​“Ask Us Anything” open discussions, an ice-breaker session, poster sessions for YIs and PDFs, ​‘Mehfil-e-yim’ social mixer, and Taj Mahal group visit.

Weaving a science story together 

YIM 2025 offered a diverse lineup of mentor talks, guest lectures, poster sessions, and a workshop, along with numerous opportunities for participants to network and build connections. These sessions encouraged meaningful interactions among young investigators (YIs), mentors, and PDFs.

The Day 1 kicked off with an engaging ice-breaker session led by Ankita Rathore, Associate Director at IndiaBioscience. Designed to foster connections among attendees, the session featured an interactive activity called Science Whisper where participants collaboratively spun a line-by-line narrative about academic science, engaging in further group discussions about the Indian life science community.

Mehfil-e-yim and the Taj visit 

On the second evening of YIM 2025, participants enjoyed a visit to the iconic Taj Mahal. The visit embodied the spirit of YIM2025 — bringing together scientists across different career stages, fostering global science in India, and celebrating the country’s rich heritage.

After two and a half days of stimulating scientific discussions, the third evening concluded with a mesmerising Kathak performance by Richa Srivastava, a distinguished dancer from the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak and the founder of RAAS Kathak Studio. Her performance, Baahar Varnam beautifully portrayed the transition of seasons, symbolising new beginnings, rebirth, and joy – an artistic reflection of the theme ​“catalysing change.”

PDF Satellite meeting

This year, the YIM 2025 PDF satellite meeting hosted 40 PDFs from institutes around the world. Each participant had the opportunity to present their work through dynamic 5 minutes lightning talks. These rapid and diverse exchanges of ideas covered over 25 research areas and represented 35 research institutes and universities worldwide. The PDFs engaged with 17 institutional representatives (IRs) from various institutes, including IISERs, IITs, research institutions, and private and state universities. 

The institutional representatives at YIM 2025 were Anuradha Vaidya, Symbiosis International‑Deemed University; Bhupesh Taneja, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi; Colin Jamora, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida; Dipyaman Ganguly, Ashoka University, Sonipat; Krishnaveni Mishra, University of Hyderabad; Maddika Subba Reddy, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad; Prasanna Venkatraman, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in Cancer, ACTREC, Navi Mumbai; Praveen Kumar Vemula, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru;Rajiv Janardhanan, SRM Institute of Science & Technology; Rakesh Mishra, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, Bengaluru; Roop Mallik, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai; Santanu Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati; Sharmila Bapat, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune; H.S Subramanya, Chanakya University, Bengaluru; Swasti Raychaudhuri, CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad; Uma Ramakrishnan, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru; and Vivek Tanavde, Ahmedabad University.

Insights from the ​‘Ask us anything’ discussions

The ​“Ask Us Anything” session is designed to allow participants to voice their concerns and seek insights on different aspects of Indian academia. Two open discussions were conducted in YIM 2025, each centred around a distinct theme — one focused on hiring and start-up funds in India, while the other focused on the intricacies of grant management and project administration in the country. The IRs shared their perspectives, discussed emerging opportunities, and provided a comprehensive overview of the evolving Indian scientific landscape. Mallik added, 

Doing your homework before the application process is essential to analyse your fit to the Institute. 

Overall, the key takeaways from the discussion were:

1. Managing administrative work in grant allocations: Grant management plays a crucial role in successful research, yet it often comes with administrative burdens. While some institutions have dedicated grant management offices to assist researchers, the level of support varies across institutions. Many IRs acknowledged the challenges faced by researchers but emphasised learning skills to sustain in Indian academia.

2. Financial support during fund dispersal delays: Funding delays can significantly impact researchers and trainees. While financial disbursement processes are largely governed by administrative policies beyond institutional control, IRs emphasised that institutions navigate through bureaucratic challenges. Ramakrishnan added, 

Institutes that hire you are invested in your success and will support you in achieving it.

3. Inclusivity and equal opportunities: Fostering diversity and inclusivity within academia was a major focus of the open discussion. IRs emphasised the importance of expanding opportunities for young mothers, women scientists, and underrepresented groups to create a more equitable academic environment. Vaidya added, ​“As a young mother, I could never do a postdoctoral fellowship outside India, but that has not hampered my career.” Most IRs discussed key institutional strategies to help young female researchers, including increased childcare support system, flexible work timings and diversified funding policies.

4. Lab leadership and mentorship development programs: Transitioning into independent faculty positions comes with challenges beyond research, including lab management, mentorship, and leadership. IRs appreciated the need for structured mentorship programs to support incoming faculty. The EMBO leadership program received appreciation for its initiative in this regard.

The meeting concluded with closing remarks by Roop Malik, IIT Bombay, and IndiaBioscience Board member, who summarised the key takeaways of the meeting. He emphasised the importance of networking and collaborations to navigate successful scientific careers. Highlighting the importance of meetings such as YIM, he said, 

YIMs serve as the open source of knowledge and support essential for the life science community in India.