Overview

Call for 23 predoctoral contracts for doctor training associated with research projects awarded under the "Knowledge Generation Projects 2025" framework.

Managed by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) upon mandate from the State Research Agency (AEI), co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).

Are you eligible?

Before applying, make sure you meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• Academic Enrollment: Enrolled or admitted full-time in a UPC PhD program for the 2026-2027 academic year, or eligible for admission at the time of contract formalization.
• Degree Status: Do not hold a PhD degree.
• Previous Grants: Have not enjoyed a similar predoctoral contract for more than 12 months at the application deadline.
• Supervision: Have a PhD supervisor who belongs to the research team of the funded project.
• Language Skills: Catalan C1 level accreditation or request a temporary exemption according to UPC regulations.

Required application documents

To complete your application, you must submit all documents online:

• ID Document: Copy of valid DNI, NIE, or Passport (passport for non-resident foreigners).
• Degree Certificate: Copy of the official university degree allowing access to PhD studies.
• Academic Transcript: Official university transcript showing grades, credits, and completion dates (with certified translation or equivalence declaration if studied abroad).
• Curriculum Vitae: CV using the official CVA model available on the call website.
• PhD Admission/Enrollment: Proof of admission or enrollment in a UPC PhD program linked to Annex II projects for 2026/2027.
• Other Certificates: Disability accreditation or other relevant academic merits, if applicable.
• Catalan C1 Certificate (Or temporary exemption request)

Applicants can only apply to one single R&D project. Applications and document corrections must be submitted strictly through the UPC electronic site.

What the grant offers

Up to 4 years

Contract duration (includes optional 12-month max orientation period post-PhD)

Funding & Remuneration

Years 1-4: €25,457 gross/year)

* Additional allowances include aid plus €7,000 for research stays and PhD tuition fees.

**Agreement CG/2024/05/12 of 25 October 2024 regulates remuneration for teaching activities carried out under predoctoral training contracts. Remuneration for Teching: màximum €11.978,40 

Submission of applications

Interested parties must complete the form available on the UPC website: Convocatòria d’ajuts per a contractes predoctorals per a la formació de doctors, attaching the relevant documentation and confirming submission of the form. 

Documentation: (se point 8 of the call for applications).

• Copy of valid NIF card, foreign resident ID card (NIE) or passport
• Copy of the official academic qualification or proof of payment of the deposit for the qualification that gives access to doctoral studies.
• In the case of studies not completed at the UPC, a copy of the personal academic record of the university studies completed (degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree) showing the grades obtained in the corresponding exam sessions, with the corresponding quantitative grades, the credits completed and the date on which the grades were obtained, as well as the corresponding sworn translation, if necessary.
• Applicants who have completed all or part of their bachelor's, master's, engineering, architecture, diploma or master's degree studies at institutions outside the Spanish university system must also submit a document certifying the equivalence of the average mark for their bachelor's and master's degrees, calculated using the form provided by the Ministry of Universities (link)..
• Document certifying a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%, in the case of participation in the round of persons with disabilities.

Interested persons may only submit one application for a single R&D project to which they wish to be assigned. The list of projects can be found in Annex II.

Documentation and support

• Resolution
• Annex I: Call for applications (Catalan) (Spanish) (English)
• Annex II: List of projects eligible to incorporate pre-doctoral researchers
• Annex III: CVA model (Spanish) (English)
• Annex IV: Description of PID 2025 projects
• Application for calculating the average grade of foreign studies
• Informative guide on how to apply the equivalence scales (important)

This recruitment follows UPC's HRS4R strategy and Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles.

Learn more