Doctoral INPhINIT fellowships - FAQs

When will the next call for fellowship applications open?

The start of the call for applications may vary from one year to another. If you wish to receive a notification when a new call for applications opens, you can do so by subscribing to the notification service.

Can I submit applications to more than one programme of ”la Caixa” Foundation fellowships?

No. You can only apply for a fellowship for one of the three programmes included in the current call for applications.

I already submitted an application last year. Could I recover the information that I entered then?

No.

I have already submitted applications in previous calls and I did not get the fellowship. Do I have less chances if I submit an application again?

No. The fact that you have already submitted applications in previous calls is not a factor that is taken into account when evaluating applications.

The on-line application form within the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme only allows one predoctoral fellowship position in the “studies to be pursued section”, but I am considering several options in this regard. Can I specify these other options in some other section?

The doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme requires choosing one specific predoctoral position through the predoctoral position search engine. However, it is highly recommended to have alternative possibilities to the first option, in case this one can not be effective or if you would like to change the option if you are awarded the fellowship. You can describe these additional options in the "comments" section of "studies to be pursued“ tab and in the statement of purpose. The position chosen in the application is therefore an expression of interest, and it is not binding: in the event of obtaining the fellowship, you could choose another available position if you wish to.

In the doctoral INPhINIT Retaining programme you do not have to choose a predoctoral position, although in the "studies to be pursued" section you must indicate the doctoral programme that you would like to study if you obtained the fellowship. The indicated programme is an expression of interest, and it is not binding: in the event of obtaining the fellowship, you could choose another doctoral programme if you wish to.

I want to carry out research and I am already in contact with a Research Centre that allows me start whenever I want. Should I get the fellowship, would it still begin in September or can I start at the university earlier or later by some months?

No, the start of the fellowship must coincide with the dates stated in the programme rules.

When applying for the fellowship, is there a database wherein the predoctoral fellowship positions and Research Centres where I could do my doctoral degree programme appear?

Yes, but only for the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme. In the "Description and guidelines" section you will find a “Search for a position” tool, which includes all the PhD positions offered within the current call.

I already have a doctoral degree. Can I apply for the fellowship for a second doctoral degree?

No, this call for fellowship applications is for young researchers that have never been enrolled in a PhD programme.

I have been working for five years in a laboratory doing research activity. Can I apply for this fellowship?

No, these fellowships are for young researchers who do not have more than four years of full-time research experience, counting from the date of completion of the studies that grant access to a doctoral programme.

Can I apply for a fellowship if I am in my final year of studies in a country outside the European Higher Education Area?

Yes, but you will have to make sure that your studies give you access to the doctorate at the destination university.

I plan to finish my studies in July 2024. Can I apply for a fellowship?

Yes, you can apply for a fellowship if you plan to finish your studies in June/July 2024. The most important thing is that you can join as a doctoral student in your host institution between September and November 2024.

Are the doctoral INPhINIT fellowships compatible with other grants or aid?

The doctoral INPhINIT fellowships are incompatible with any other paid work, grant, or financial aid from any other organisation.

Is there any age limit in order to apply for the fellowship?

No. In any case, the years of research experience will be taken into account. At the closing date for applications, candidates must be in the first four years of their research career and they should not have previously obtained any other doctoral degree.

What is the geographic mobility requirement in the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme?

To be eligible to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Incoming fellowship:

Candidates who wish to join a Spanish centre or university cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the deadline for applications.

Candidates who wish to join a Portuguese centre or university cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Portugal for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the deadline for applications.

Short stays, such as holidays, done in a country other than their country of usual residence (where they carried out their main activity), will be considered as time spent in their country of usual residence.

The fulfilment of the geographic mobility requirement will be checked during the eligibility screening phase. It will be checked again and definitively after the publication date of the final list of selected candidates.

Find below two examples:

Example 1:

A Spanish researcher has finished the last year of her bachelor’s degree in a Spanish university. She has taken a master's degree in the Netherlands from 25/09/2021 to 24/08/2023, when she leaves her residence in the Netherlands. Since 25/08/2023 she is on holidays and from 25/09/2023 she joins a Spanish company, where she plans to work for at least one year.

Is the candidate eligible to apply for the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming fellowship to pursue doctoral studies in an accredited research centre?

Start date - End date	Country of residence	Period	Activity
25/01/2021 24/09/2021	Spain	8 months	Studies
25/09/2021 24/08/2023	The Netherlands	23 months	Studies
25/08/2023 24/09/2023	Spain	1 month	Holidays
25/09/2023 24/01/2024	Spain	4 months	Work

As she left her residence in the Netherlands on 24/08/2023, starting from 25/08/2023 her familiar residence is in Spain despite she is in holiday abroad. She is not eligible to apply for the fellowship as she will have spent more than 12 months in Spain in the 3 years immediately prior to the closing date for applications.

Example 2:

A French student has completed his master’s degree in France. On 25/09/2022 he starts an internship period in a Portuguese company for 5 months, and after finishing it, he moves to Finland for a research stay of 5 months in a research centre. He returns to Portugal by 25/07/2023 and starts working in the same company where he did his internship.

Is the candidate eligible to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Incoming fellowship in a Portuguese research unit accredited as excellent by the Fundação per a Ciência e a Tecnologia de Portugal?

Start date - End date	Country of residence	Period	Activity
25/01/2021 24/09/2022	France	20 months	Studies
25/09/2022 24/02/2023	Portugal	5 months	Work
25/02/2023 24/07/2023	Finland	5 months	Work
25/07/2023 24/01/2024	Portugal	6 months	Work

He is eligible to apply for the fellowship, as at the closing date for applications he will have spent 11 months in Portugal in the 3 years immediately prior to the closing date for applications.

What is the geographic mobility requirement in the doctoral INPhINIT Retaining programme?

To be eligible to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Retaining Fellowship candidates must fulfil two mobility requirements:

Requirement 1

Candidates who wish to join a Spanish centre or university must have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the deadline for applications.

Candidates who wish to join a Portuguese centre or university must have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Portugal for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the deadline for applications.

Find below two examples:

Example 1:

A Portuguese researcher has finished the last year of her bachelor’s degree at a university in Denmark. On 15/06/2022 she leaves her residence in Denmark and goes on holiday until 15/08/2022. From 16/08/2022 to 15/07/2023 she takes a master's degree in a Portuguese university. On 16/07/2023 she stays for 7 months in a Spanish company.

Is the candidate eligible to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Retaining fellowship to complete her PhD at a Portuguese research center?

Start date - End date	Country of residence	Period	Activity
16/02/2021 15/06/2022	Denmark	16 months	Studies
16/06/2022 15/08/2022	Portugal	2 months	Holidays
16/08/2022 15/07/2023	Portugal	11 months	Studies
16/07/2023 15/02/2024	Spain	7 months	Studies

As she left her residence in Denmark on 15/06/2022, during the period 16/06/2022 – 15/08/2022 her familiar residence is in Portugal, despite she is on holiday abroad. She is eligible to apply for a fellowship because she will have spent more than 12 months living in Portugal in the 3 years immediately prior to the closing date for applications.

Example 2:

A French student has taken a master's degree at a university in France during the period 16/02/2021 - 15/02/2022. She has done her master’s thesis in a research group of a Spanish university for 6 months. She stays in Spain collaborating with the research group until 15/01/2023. After this period, she moves to Poland to work at a research center.

Is the candidate eligible to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Retaining fellowship at a Spanish university?

Start date - End date	Country of residence	Period	Activity
16/02/2021 15/02/2022	France	12 months	Studies
16/02/2022 15/08/2022	Spain	6 months	Studies
16/08/2022 15/01/2023	Spain	5 months	Work
16/01/2023 15/02/2024	Poland	13 months	Work

She is not eligible to apply for the fellowship, since she will have resided less than 12 months in Spain in the 3 years immediately prior to the closing date for applications.

Requirement 2

Candidates who obtain a doctoral INPhINIT Retaining fellowship must enroll in a PhD programme of a university other than the one where they studied the bachelor’s degree.

Is my application number indicative of the number of individuals who are currently submitting an application in this call for fellowship applications?

No.

I have Spanish nationality but I currently reside abroad. Can I apply for the fellowship?

Yes, provided that you fulfil the geographic mobility requirements.

I am a national of a European Union country. Am I eligible to apply for the fellowship?

Yes, provided that you fulfil the geographic mobility requirement.

I am a national of a non-EU country. Am I eligible to apply for the fellowship?

Yes, provided that you fulfil the geographic mobility requirement.

I am currently enrolled in a doctoral programme but I still have not defended my thesis, nor am I in a position to obtain the doctoral degree. Can I submit an application?

If you are already enrolled in a doctoral programme, you are not eligible to apply for this fellowship.

Do I have to state all the professional and academic activity that I have performed?

The CV tab allows you to describe your academic training and your work experience as well. It is especially important that you report everything you have done (type of activity, country and period) at least during the four years prior to the closing date of the call, so that we can check the compliance of both the geographical mobility and research experience requirements.

All the information that you state has to be verifiable through official documents.

Should I be already accepted to the institution where I want to pursue my studies to take part in the selection process?

No.

Am I eligible to apply for the fellowship without duly accrediting the language proficiency level called for in the programme rules?

Yes, you can submit your application without proving your language level, as long as you are in any of the exemption situations described in section 4.3 of the programme rules.

Can my language proficiency level be accredited by a certificate other than those specified in the rules?

No. The language proficiency level should be necessarily accredited by any of the certificates specified in the rules of each programme.

I am one point below the minimum language proficiency level specified in the rules. Can I apply for the fellowship?

No. The language proficiency level should be necessarily accredited by any of the certificates specified in the rules of each programme, and these certificates should have the minimum level required.

Is it necessary to be a CaixaBank customer to apply for a fellowship?

No.

Can I submit paper copies of reference letters or send them in PDF format by e-mail?

No. Request and receipt of reference letters can only be done using the online application system for a ”la Caixa” Foundation fellowship.

How does the online reference letter system work?

Reference letters are requested by filling in the mandatory fields on the application form, particularly on the “Reference letters” tab. Once this section has been completed, ”la Caixa” Foundation will contact the individuals who you listed via e-mail. In the e-mail, we will provide them with a webpage address where they can fill in and send the letter using an online form.

I have already provided my referee’s information on the online application platform. How long will ”la Caixa” Foundation take to contact them?

Contact is immediate. ”la Caixa” Foundation automatically sends them the e-mail as soon as you have provided the requested information.

My referees do not understand English. Can they receive the request for reference letter in another language?

No, only letters in English will be valid, as evaluation will be done by evaluators from all over the world.

What is the Diploma Supplement?

The Diploma Supplement (DS) is a document issued by the university where you pursued your studies, which grants EU-wide recognition to your academic curriculum. It consists of an annex to the academic qualification, detailing the subjects covered, languages used, credits obtained, competencies acquired, academic results, and professional qualifications of the graduate from the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree programme, with their name(s) and surname(s), among other reliable accreditations all over Europe.

Can I attach, as accreditation of my academic record, the list of grades which I have access to from my university’s intranet?

Yes, provided that, as stated in the programme rules, all subjects and grades, year by year, as well as the total credits of the qualification and the credits awarded, are specified. In addition, your name, the name of the university, and the name of the qualification should clearly appear.

Should you get the fellowship, you must submit the original transcript of academic record issued by your university, or a certified photocopy of it.

With regard to my academic record, what documentation should I attach if I have not yet completed my studies?

You should attach the transcript of academic record up until the present.

There are aspects of my academic or professional curriculum that I cannot accredit with any document. Can I include them in the application all the same?

No. You can only include what you can accredit with original documents in your application. Should you get the fellowship and be unable to accredit any of the achievements mentioned in your application, the fellowship will be withdrawn.

I have a TOEFL or IELTS certificate that accredits a level equal to or greater than that specified in the programme rules, but it has already expired. Do I have to accredit my level with a valid certificate?

Not necessarily. We will accept your language accreditation despite the fact that it has already expired.

Can I attach, as accreditation of my English language proficiency level, a “screenshot” of the webpage showing my qualifications, or should I present the official certificate?

You can attach a “screenshot” showing your qualifications, provided that your name can be clearly seen. Should you get the fellowship, you must submit the original document to us.

Is it possible for me to submit my language certificate after the deadline specified in the programme rules?

No. An additional deadline has already been considered for all programmes, beyond the deadline for applications, to submit this accreditation.

Can I submit my application, and if on the deadline for applications I am still lacking a document, certificate, or letter of recommendation, I commit to sending it a few days later?

No. Each and every one of the requirements and deadlines must be duly complied with. Any incomplete application on the deadline for applications will be disregarded.

Is it possible for me to learn who evaluated my application?

No. According to standard practice in the selection processes using the peer review system, applicants are not informed of the identity of the individuals who will evaluate their application or of the composition of the selection boards who will interview the applicants. Nevertheless, once the selection processes have ended, a list of all the professors and researchers who took part in them will be made public.

What criteria are followed to reject applicants during the interviews?

The applicants who pass the preselection process will be called in for a face-to-face screening interview.

The face-to-face interview seeks to:

Delve into the information provided in the application, particularly with regard to the applicant’s academic and personal project.
Ask about matters that were not included in the application and which the committee considers particularly relevant to evaluate the suitability of the applicant in pursuing the studies proposed.
Evaluate the applicant’s academic and professional potential.
Evaluate their all-round training, interests, concerns, and curiosity for the social, scientific, economic, cultural, or artistic context, although this is not directly related to their studies.
Evaluate their personal and academic maturity, their motivation to complete the proposed studies and project, and their capacity to clearly express their ideas and firmly defend them.

During the interview, the members of the selection committee may ask for clarifications and pose the academic, personal, or professional questions that they deem appropriate with the aim of selecting—among all the individuals interviewed—those who, in their opinion, are deserving of the fellowship.

During the selection processes, is there any kind of quota system in place for disadvantaged individuals?

No, the selection and preselection processes are exclusively governed by the criteria of academic excellence, and no quotas that take any other factors into account are in place.

How long is the interview?

Approximately twenty minutes.

Can I submit audiovisual documentation during the interview?

No. In the case of the doctoral INPhINIT Retaining programme, the on-line form through which the application was made already provides for the possibility of attaching audiovisual files and links to online content; therefore, documentation of this type should only be submitted using the online form.

Can I submit any additional documentation during the interview?

No, under no circumstances.

I have just registered on the on-line application platform but the access codes are not working. How can I resolve this?

To activate the account as an applicant, it is necessary to click on the link that you receive in the registration e-mail. If your e-mail account disables the links (e.g. Hotmail accounts tend to do this), you should copy the link to your browser’s address bar. You access codes will not be activated until you have completed this step.

I cannot register on the online application platform because I made a mistake when I provided my username (e-mail address). What should I do?

Send a scanned copy of your National Identity Card to [email protected] so that we can verify your information and make the necessary corrections.

I would like to include more information than what the online application platform allows in my curriculum. How can I do this?

The online application platform only allows a limited number of sections. You should select the aspects of your curriculum which you consider to best support your application. In the online form, you have a text field at the end where you can add additional information that you consider worthy of mention.

The online application platform does not allow me to attach digital documents to my application. What should I do?

Los documentos tienen un límite de tamaño, más allá del cual el sistema los rechaza e impide que sean adjuntados a la solicitud. El formulario electrónico indica, en cada caso, estos límites. A menudo el tamaño de los archivos puede reducirse considerablemente si se crea un documento PDF optimizando las opciones de compresión:

Una resolución entre 90 y 120 ppp
Impresión en blanco y negro o escala de grises

I have attached a new file as a replacement of another one that I uploaded previously. I cannot seem to see the new file. Why?

Most likely, you don't see the updated file because of your computer’s cache. You can clear your browser’s cache or delete all temporary files to see the right document.

One of my referees say that they he has already sent the letter, but it doesn't appear as received in my application. What could have happened?

It is possible that the letter has been finished but its submission is still pending. The referee has to submit it, so that the system can include it in your application.

Can I do a doctoral thesis under co-direction?

Yes.

Should I receive the fellowship, what type of contract will I sign with the Research Centre?

The Research Centre will draw up an employment contract in accordance with the regulations in force for research personnel in training.

When should I start the fellowship?

The fellowship, and therefore, the contract, should start between September and November 2023. On an exceptional basis, it is possible to start later, until January 2024, provided that it is duly justified.

Should I be accepted to a host institution beforehand?

No.

In the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme, do I have to start getting in touch with researchers from the host institutions who have submitted their predoctoral fellowship positions?

It is advisable to start getting in touch with researchers of the predoctoral fellowship positions you are interested in when your application has been selected for the face-to-face interview stage.

In the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme, can host institutions conduct interviews for acceptance to them?

Yes, independently of the ”la Caixa” Foundation’s selection process, host institutions may conduct interviews or use any other means to get to know the applicants who aspire to become research fellows.

I am already working at the institution where I would like to pursue doctoral studies. Can I apply for a Doctoral INPhINIT fellowship?

Yes, provided that you fulfil the geographic mobility requirement and you have never been enrolled in a doctoral programme.

I have received an offer for a predoctoral fellowship position at a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, or Carlos III Health Research Institute, or a Portuguese unit accredited as "excellent" by the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia. However, this offer does not appear among the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming positions search engine. Could I apply for the fellowship for this position?

No. Research fellows may only opt for predoctoral fellowship positions that appear in the doctoral INPhINIT Incoming programme call for applications using the positions search engine.

I would like to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Incoming fellowship to do my doctoral degree in a Spanish Research Centre but this Centre is not accredited as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, or Carlos III Health Research Institute. Can I apply for the fellowship?

No. Research fellows may only opt for predoctoral fellowship positions that appear in the call for applications using the positions search engine and at accredited centres.

I would like to apply for a doctoral INPhINIT Incoming fellowship to do my doctoral degree in a Portuguese research centre, but it is not accredited as "excellent" by the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia. Can I apply for the fellowship?