Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics - International Scholarships for Graduates

What you get

You will be awarded a fully funded PhD place in the field of astrophysics abroad. The placement in Italy is funded at a rate of about 24,800 EUR in the first year. The placement in the United Kingdom is funded at a rate of around 15,285 GBP per year (roughly 17,800 EUR), tax-free. The scholarship for Italy runs for one year. You may extend it by up to 3 years, up to a maximum of 4 years. The scholarship for the UK runs for up to 3.5 years and covers your salary, tuition fees and support for your research training and fieldwork. The scholarship is awarded by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) in Spain. It prepares Spanish university graduates to undertake their PhD at a partner centre in another country. The IAC selects your host centre, your research topic and your destination country. This host centre signs your contract and is responsible for your salary, insurance and employment status.

Who can apply

• Where you live and studied: You live in Spain and graduated from a Spanish university.
• Your degree: You must hold a Master’s degree (Máster) in astrophysics, physics or mathematics. If your Master’s degree was not in astrophysics, the topic of your dissertation must be clearly related to astrophysics or space science.
• Not finished the master yet? You may also apply with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics or Mathematics, provided you can demonstrate that you are currently enrolled on a Master’s programme.
• Grades: At least 7.0 out of 10 if you hold a Licenciatura degree, or 7.5 out of 10 if you hold a Grado degree plus a Master’s degree.
• Recent graduate: You completed your Grado or Licenciatura on 31 January 2018 at the earliest.
• English: At least Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (roughly intermediate level).

How to apply

You apply online via the IAC application portal and upload your documents as PDF files. The application deadline is 9 April. A selection panel will review the applications and award a total of 100 points, with up to 80 points allocated for your academic background and grades.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is very selective. Only two scholarships are awarded, and applicants must be recent graduates from a Spanish university in the fields of astrophysics, physics or mathematics, and must be living in Spain. This keeps the pool of applicants small, but the few strong candidates compete directly for the two places. As 80 of the 100 points are allocated to grades and academic record, an outstanding academic record and relevant academic achievements are crucial.