PREDOCS-INEFC - Programa de contractació abonable INEFC

What you get

You get a full-time, three-year paid contract to research and complete your PhD at one of the INEFC centres in Catalonia (Barcelona, Lleida or Pirineus). INEFC is the public sports-science institute of the Generalitat de Catalunya. This is a job, not a classic grant: you are hired as a trainee predoctoral researcher. Your gross monthly salary follows the Spanish public-sector collective agreement, paid over 12 months. You get 56% of the Group I reference salary in years 1 and 2, rising to 60% in year 3. INEFC also pays your public PhD supervision and assessment fees during the contract. On top of that, you can draw up to 3,000 EUR over the whole contract for training, conferences and research stays abroad. The contract starts as one year. It renews automatically for up to two more years if your annual progress report is positive, and it ends when you defend your thesis.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting a PhD and do not yet hold a doctorate.
• Field: Your research fits physical activity, physical education, sport or their applied sciences, and links to one of INEFC's listed research projects.
• Enrolment: By the time you sign, you are enrolled full-time in a PhD programme at a Catalan university (for the general round, the University of Barcelona or University of Lleida).
• When you graduated: You finished the studies that give access to the PhD recently. For the 2025 general round, that means from 1 January 2022 onward. Exceptions apply for parental leave, illness and similar situations.
• Grades: Your weighted degree average is at least 6.50 out of 10.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply. Foreign degrees have their grades converted under the official Spanish rules.
• No double funding: You have not held a similar contract for more than 12 months, and you have never taken part in this programme before.

How to apply

You apply online through the Tràmits Gencat portal within the published window for each round. For the general round, you need a supervisor's sign-off linking you to an INEFC project. Selection is by points based on your grades and CV. The project-funded round also includes an interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a narrow award: only a handful of contracts open each year (five in the 2025 general round). Each one is tied to a specific INEFC research project and supervisor in sports science. That keeps the applicant pool small, but you need a clear fit with an existing project and a supervisor willing to back you. If your PhD topic matches one of the listed projects, your grades clear the 6.50 bar and you line up a supervisor early, your prospects are good.