Oriol-Urquijo University Foundation - Oriol-Urquijo University Foundation Scholarships

What you get

You will receive 1,100 EUR per month (13,200 EUR gross per year, paid in twelve instalments) to support your work on your doctoral thesis in the humanities. The funding will run for up to three years. It will be renewed each year following a positive assessment of your progress report. If you complete and submit your doctoral thesis within three years and make full use of the scholarship, you will receive an additional one-off 5,000 EUR. You will also become a member of the Foundation’s scholarship holders’ network (Fundárea), take part in seminars and academic conferences, and receive personal and academic support throughout the funding period. Six of these scholarships are awarded per round by the José Luis de Oriol Catalina de Urquijo Foundation, a private foundation based in Madrid.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a Spanish citizen.
• Degree level: You must hold a Bachelor’s degree (Grado), have completed an official research-based Master’s degree and be enrolled on a PhD programme. A Master’s degree programme that you are currently undertaking does not count. A Master’s degree in teacher training is exempt from the requirement for a research-based Master’s degree.
• Field of study: Your dissertation falls within the field of the humanities: philosophy and literary studies, social sciences and law, or theology.
• Grades: Your average mark in your Bachelor’s degree is at least 8 out of 10.
• Foreign degrees: If you have studied abroad, your qualification will be recognised in Spain, or the recognition process is already under way.
• Commitment: You must be working full-time on your dissertation. The scholarship may not be combined with any other scholarships or a regular income.
• Preferred (not required): You have completed your bachelor’s degree within the last four academic years, were born on or after 1 January 2000, and have not previously received any other scholarship for postgraduate study. The foundation also operates in accordance with Christian principles.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the Foundation’s online platform. Between 1 and 31 October, please email your certificates and a copy of your identity document. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview in Madrid, at which the decision on who will receive a scholarship will be made. You will be notified in November or December.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is highly selective: only six scholarships are awarded to Spanish nationals with outstanding academic achievements (at least 8/10) who are pursuing a PhD in the humanities. As a result, the pool of applicants remains small compared to open scholarship schemes. If you clearly meet the grade requirements, have completed your research Master’s degree and submit a well-reasoned dissertation proposal signed by your supervisor, your chances are good.