Government of Spain-Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness - "Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios" Programme for Research Initiation

Benefit

You will be awarded 2,000 EUR for a short research placement at an institute of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain’s national research organisation. You will work within a real research group at a CSIC centre of your choice at one of its locations throughout Spain. This work may form the basis of your Bachelor’s thesis (Trabajo de Fin de Grado). The aim is to give you an initial practical insight into a career in science. In the 2014 round, 100 placements were funded.

Eligibility

• Level: You are enrolled on a Bachelor’s degree programme (Grado) and have earned between 40% and 80% of the required credits. You have not yet obtained a higher education qualification.
• Grades: Your credit-weighted average is 8.0 or higher on a scale from 0 to 10.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, including Spanish nationals and citizens of other EU and non-EU countries.
• Field of study: Any topic is suitable, provided that a CSIC research group covers your field.
• Health: There is nothing that would prevent you from carrying out the research.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the CSIC portal. You must select an institute and a research group and explain your choice. You will also need a letter of recommendation from a university professor in a related field. The application deadline is approximately 21 April. As there is no interview, selection is based solely on your application documents.

How realistic are your chances?

The grade threshold of 8.0 already restricts the pool to high-achieving students. Otherwise, the selection process is broad in scope and open to all subjects and all nationalities studying in Spain. If your grades are well above the threshold and you can put forward convincing arguments in favour of your chosen institution and group, your prospects are good – particularly if you can provide a strong reference.