Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) - Traineeships for Postgraduate Students

What you get

You will receive 1,300 EUR gross per month for a paid internship at the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) in Madrid, Spain’s national institute for applied social research. You will be directly involved in real research projects. You will learn about the methods of applied social science, including how statistical data is compiled and how quantitative research works. Tax and social security contributions will be deducted from each payment. The internship takes place at the CIS office in Madrid and lasts for around six and a half months (most recently from 1 June to 15 December). You are therefore neither an employee nor a civil servant of the CIS.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a university degree (graduado or licenciado) obtained within the last four years prior to the publication of the vacancy notice.
• Recognised qualification: If your qualification was obtained abroad or at a private Spanish institution, it must have been officially recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
• Field of study: As this involves applied social research, a background in the social sciences is most suitable.
• Grades: Your average mark is at least 1.8 on a scale of 1 to 4.
• Nationality: You are a Spanish national, a national of an EU country or a non-EU national lawfully resident in Spain.
• No previous CIS traineeship: You have not yet completed a CIS work placement for university graduates.
• Tax and social security: Your tax and social security contributions are up to date.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the Ministerio de la Presidencia’s electronic portal, using a digital certificate or an electronic ID card. You must submit your CV, an official transcript of your grades, and supporting documents for all the information you have provided. The deadline for applications was 25. March. Selection is based on a points system: academic marks carry the most weight (up to 60 out of 100), followed by research experience, publications, IT skills and languages. There is no interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a scholarship with strict eligibility criteria: only around ten places are available, it focuses on a specific area of social science research, and there is a strict requirement that your degree must not be more than four years old. As a result, the pool of applicants remains small. Selection is based almost exclusively on your academic performance, with grades carrying significant weight. With a good grade point average, a degree in the social sciences and some research experience or publications, your chances are good.