University of Murcia - University of Murcia Predoctoral Fellowships

What the University of Murcia predoctoral contract gives you

You will receive a scholarship of full-time employment contract for up to 4 years to complete your PhD thesis at the University of Murcia in Spain. This is not a monthly grant, but a proper employment position: you will receive a salary set in accordance with Spanish law for PhD students, and social security contributions are included. In addition, you may teach up to 60 hours per year (a maximum of 180 hours over the entire duration of the contract) to gain teaching experience. The university funds the programme through its research budget; in the current round, 20 positions are available.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a degree worth at least 300 ECTS credits or a Bachelor’s degree worth 240 credits, as well as a relevant Master’s degree, meaning you are eligible to enrol on a PhD programme.
• No PhD yet: You do not yet hold a doctorate.
• Enrolment: You can enrol on a PhD programme at the University of Murcia.
• Field of study: All disciplines for which the university offers a corresponding PhD programme. Each post is linked to a specific research group or project.
• Grades: For some roles, a minimum grade point average is required (for example, 8.5 out of 10). This varies from role to role.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. International applicants should convert their foreign grades using the official Spanish conversion scale.
• Previous contracts: The total duration of your doctoral contracts to date is no more than 4 years.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online via the University’s ConvocUM portal. The annual application deadline is in October (the last application rounds closed on 31 October). The selection process takes place in several stages: first, there is a formal check of the entry requirements, followed by an assessment of your academic achievements, publications and professional experience, and finally an interview with the research group or the selection committee.

How realistic are your chances?

With around 20 positions available each year, each of which is assigned to a specific research group and a specific field of research, this is more of a targeted allocation than an open scholarship. If your degree, your marks and your research interests clearly match one of the advertised posts and you can demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, your chances are good. A strong fit with the research group is more important than a broad-based profile.