SGAE Foundation - Grants for doctoral dissertations

Benefit

You will receive 6,000 EUR for completing a doctoral thesis on the cultural sector. The funds will be paid in two instalments: 25% upon acceptance of the scholarship and 75% once your thesis has been completed and approved by your examination board. From the date of acceptance, you will have 30 months to complete the thesis. Your supervisor may apply for an extension. If two people are co-authoring the thesis, they will share the 6,000 EUR equally. The scholarship is provided by the Fundación SGAE, the foundation of the Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers, based in Madrid.

Eligibility

• Stage: You’re still working on your PhD thesis; it’s not finished yet.
• Research centre: You are enrolled at a public or private research centre that works on the eligible topics.
• Topic: Your dissertation will focus on the current cultural market in the fields of the performing arts, music, audiovisual media or multimedia in Spain or Ibero-America. Comparisons with other countries, as well as studies of cultural exchange between Spain and Latin America, are welcome.
• Field of study: Your work falls within one of the following areas: sociology of culture, cultural economics, cultural policy, communication and culture, cultural management or cultural law.
• Nationality and residence: Anyone can apply, regardless of their background or place of residence.

How to apply

Apply online via the Fundación SGAE website by 15 December. Submit your dissertation proposal as a PDF (including a statement of purpose, objectives, methodology, bibliography and timetable), together with a letter from your supervisor confirming your research ability. The documents may be written in any of Spain’s official languages. A panel of university researchers will assess the proposals and notify all applicants in writing. There will be no interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is very narrowly defined: your doctoral thesis must focus on the Spanish or Latin American cultural market within a specified subject area, meaning that only a few applicants meet the criteria. Only one scholarship is awarded per call for applications, which means competition remains fierce even within a small specialist field. If your doctoral thesis clearly corresponds to the topic and you can present a convincing, well-structured project that is supported by your supervisor, your prospects are realistic.