INPhINIT 'la Caixa' Fellowship Programme / IRB Barcelona International PhD Fellowships

What the INPhINIT fellowship gives you

You get a fully paid PhD position for up to 4 years to do your doctorate at a top research centre in Spain or Portugal. In the 2024 round the package was worth about 35,800 EUR per year (around 143,200 EUR over four years). This covers your salary, social-security contributions and income tax. On top of that you get around 3,500 EUR a year for research costs, such as conferences, workshops, short stays and lab materials. Your PhD tuition fees are paid too. You also join a training programme with three residential sessions on soft skills and career planning, plus ongoing personal and academic support. The money and training come from the 'la Caixa' Foundation. IRB Barcelona is one of the research centres where you can carry out your work.

Who can apply

• Level: You have finished the degree that lets you enrol in an official PhD in Spain or Portugal, and you have not yet started doctoral studies.
• Research experience: You have done no more than four years of research before the deadline, so this is for early-career researchers.
• Field of study: The Incoming track is only for STEM subjects: life sciences and health, physics, chemistry, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Retaining track is open to all subjects.
• Where you have lived (Incoming): You must NOT have lived or worked in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
• Where you have lived (Retaining): The opposite applies. You must HAVE been based in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• English: You can prove your English level with one of the accepted certificates.
• Retaining only: You must do your PhD at a different university from the one where you did your undergraduate degree.

How to apply

You apply online through the 'la Caixa' Foundation fellowships website. If you are shortlisted, you are invited to an interview before a multidisciplinary committee that makes the final decision. Each yearly call has its own deadline in January or February, so check the current round before you start.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a well-known, generously funded fellowship, so it draws strong international applicants and the competition is real. Each call offers only around 30 places per track. Selection weighs your academic record, motivation letter and references heavily, followed by an interview. If you clearly fit the residence rule for your track, have an excellent record and a sharp statement of purpose, your prospects are solid. A vague application will not survive the shortlisting stage.