Ramón y Cajal 2026

Overview

The Ramón y Cajal 2026 call promotes the incorporation and retention of outstanding research talent in Spanish research institutions. It provides 5-year employment grants, research project funding, automatic R3 certificate recognition, and incentives for permanent positions across all scientific areas.

Managed by the State Research Agency (AEI) with a total budget of €240,000,000.

Are you eligible?

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

PhD Degree: Awarded between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2024 (January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2024, for applicants with a disability). Extensions apply for maternity/paternity, temporary incapacity, or care for dependents.
Incompatibilities: Applicants must not have previously benefited from a Ramón y Cajal grant, nor hold a Juan de la Cierva grant (unless held for at least one year before June 1, 2027).
Single Application: Candidates may submit only one application per call.

UPC Technical Support & Internal Evaluation

The UPC Talent Attraction Unit will provide technical support for application preparation to researchers who have the support of a UPC Department Director and pass the internal evaluation under the Protocol de selecció i priorització de candidatures en les convocatòries d'ajuts a la contractació. Programes d’excel·lència approved by the UPC Governing Council.

Before October 9: Candidates must submit their CV in the official call format to request support, by sending an e_mail to captaciotalent.sp@upc.edu and endorsement from the UPC Department Director for the research grant application to the same e_mail address.
October 26: Publication of the researchers who passed the internal evaluation and will receive technical support from our unit.
November 25: deadline for researchers to submit their proposal documents for review

Required application documents to the final application to AEI

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

Curriculum Vitae (CVA) (Standardized abbreviated CV highlighting research trajectory and key contributions)
R&D Research Project Proposal (Detailed research proposal requesting a minimum direct cost budget of €200,000)
PhD Certificate (Official document confirming the date of PhD award)

Consult the official AEI call text for official CVA templates and language instructions.

What the grant offers

5 Years

Contract Duration

€40,000/yr

Minimum Gross Salary

€200,000+

Research Project Funding

* ERC salary top-ups (10%–30%).

Timeline

9 OCT

Internal CV Submission

Deadline to submit CV for UPC internal evaluation.

26 OCT

Support Announcement

Publication of researchers selected for technical support.

10 NOV 2026

Call Opening

Online application submission period opens.

25 NOV

Internal deadline

for researchers to submit proposals for review

10 DEC 2026

Call Deadline

Applications close at 14:00 CET.

Useful links

State Research Agency (AEI) Call Website

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

Learn more

Ramón y Cajal 2026

Ramón y Cajal 2026 Call