University of Burgos - Grants for predoctoral contracts

What you get

You will be offered a four-year employment contract as a PhD student at University of Burgos (UBU) in Spain, with a salary of approximately 1,045 EUR per month. This is a genuine employment contract, not merely a scholarship. It covers your gross salary in 14 instalments per year, the employer’s social security contributions and a statutory severance payment upon termination of the contract. This will enable you to write your doctoral thesis within a research group in Burgos and prepare for a career in research or teaching. After obtaining your PhD, you may work as a postdoctoral researcher for up to 12 months, but for no longer than a total of four years. The university funds the contracts through its own research programme and awards between 4 and 5 grants per round.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a university degree but have not yet obtained a doctorate.
• PhD place: You are enrolled on a PhD programme at the University of Burgos or have been admitted to one.
• Regional ranking: You must first apply for the 2025 call for applications for PhD students issued by the Junta de Castilla y León (the regional government) and be included on their ranking list as a reserve candidate. Only these reserve candidates are eligible for UBU contracts.
• Field of study: All topics are open. Your dissertation simply needs to relate to a specific project within a department or research group at UBU and be supervised by a member of staff at UBU who holds a PhD.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Full-time commitment: You shall work full-time and exclusively under the terms of this contract. You must not combine this contract with any other similar funding or paid work that would interfere with your research.
• Disability quota: One contract is reserved for applicants with a recognised disability of at least 33%. If this contract is not taken up, it is returned to the general pool.

How to apply

You must apply online via the UBU’s electronic portal (Sede Electrónica) using the ‘Anexo 1’ form and must attach proof of your application for the call for applications issued by the Junta de Castilla y León. For round 2025, the UBU application window ran from 25 March to 16 May. There will be no UBU interview. Selection is based on the ranking list drawn up by the Junta de Castilla y León, and the reserve candidates listed on this list will be offered UBU contracts in order of ranking.

How realistic are your chances?

The selection criteria are very strict. You must already be enrolled as a PhD student in Burgos and have made it onto the Junta’s regional ranking list as a reserve candidate, meaning that only a few people meet the requirements. If you clearly meet these conditions, your prospects of securing one of the contracts ranging from 4 to 5 are quite good. As selection is based on the regional ranking list, your position on this list is more important than anything you achieve in the UBU process.