Fundación 'la Caixa' - Becas de doctorado INPhINIT - Convocatoria Incoming

Doctoral INPhINIT scholarship (Incoming, Fundación 'la Caixa')

You get a paid research contract worth 35,800 EUR per year in salary to do your PhD in a STEM subject at a top research centre in Spain or Portugal, for up to 4 years. On top of the salary you receive 3,500 EUR a year for direct project costs, such as conference fees, courses, research stays and materials. Your full doctoral enrolment fees are also covered. You also get training in soft skills and career development, plus mentoring (guidance from an experienced researcher) in two phases and access to the foundation's worldwide alumni network. The Spanish foundation 'la Caixa' funds 30 of these places each round.

Who can apply

• Field of study: STEM only, meaning technology, engineering, physics, chemistry, maths, and health and life sciences.
• Where you study: An accredited excellence centre in Spain or Portugal, for example a Spanish centre with the 'Severo Ochoa' or 'María de Maeztu' seal, a 'Carlos III' health research institute, or a Portuguese unit certified as excellent by the FCT.
• Degree: By the time you start, you have a degree that lets you enrol in an official PhD programme in Spain or Portugal.
• No prior PhD: You have not started or finished a doctorate before.
• Research experience: You have no more than 4 years of full-time research experience at the application deadline.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply, with no age limit.
• Where you have lived: In the 3 years before the deadline, you must not have lived or worked mainly in your destination country for more than 12 months (Spain for a Spanish centre, Portugal for a Portuguese one).
• English: You can prove at least B2 level with an official certificate.
• No other funding: You cannot combine this with another paid job, scholarship or grant.

How to apply

You apply online in English through the foundation's fellowships platform. You need a CV, a motivation letter, a research plan and at least three references. Selection has three stages: an eligibility check, a remote review by expert assessors, and a personal interview before a panel. You do not need admission from your target institute beforehand.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut narrowly: STEM only, a strict rule on where you have recently lived, and no more than 4 years of research behind you. That trims the field, but the salary and profile make it well known across Europe, so the 30 places are contested. If you clearly fit the field and residence criteria and can present a strong academic record and research plan, your prospects are solid.