University of Oviedo - University of Oviedo Predoctoral Grants

University of Oviedo Predoctoral Grants

You will be awarded a four-year work contract (Contrato Predoctoral) by the University of Oviedo to enable you to write your doctoral thesis in one of its departments or research institutes. You will not merely receive a scholarship. You will be employed and registered with the Spanish social security system, with your remuneration spread over 14 monthly payments per year. The contract is valid for up to four years. During this time, you will carry out research for your doctoral thesis and, from the second year onwards, assist with teaching. The University runs this programme to train new researchers and lecturers and allocates places through an open selection process.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a recognised degree: – a ‘Licenciatura’ degree, a degree in engineering or architecture, a higher education qualification worth at least 300 ECTS credits, or a Master’s degree.
• PhD enrolment: You have already been admitted to or are enrolled on a PhD programme at the University of Oviedo, or you will be able to do so by the time the contract is signed.
• No doctorate yet: You do not yet hold a doctorate.
• Field of study: All academic disciplines: natural sciences, engineering and architecture, health sciences, arts and humanities, and social sciences and law.
• Nationality: You are a Spanish national, an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen with a valid Spanish foreigner’s identification number (NIE).
• Grades: You meet the minimum grade point average requirement for this round. In previous rounds, a minimum of 6.5 on a scale of 0 to 10 was required.
• Full-time: You are a full-time student and do not receive any other salary or funding for the same PhD programme.
• Supervisor: A supervisor at the University of Oviedo will support your application. They must hold a PhD and be employed on a full-time basis; each supervisor may support only one applicant per round.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the University of Oviedo’s electronic portal (Sede Electrónica) as a general application. For the 2026 round, the application period runs from 20 April to 4 May 2026. A selection panel will assess each application on the basis of your grades, your CV, the quality of your dissertation topic and your supervisor’s track record.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is linked to a specific university and requires a supervisor there to support you. As each supervisor can only support one applicant per round, the pool of applicants is naturally limited. If you have an outstanding academic record, a clearly defined dissertation proposal and a committed supervisor in Oviedo, your chances are good. Securing such a supervisor at an early stage is the crucial step.