Descripción de la oferta
ICIQ Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellowships
ICIQ Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellowships are aimed at exceptional graduate students from all over the world. These PhD studentships will support your enrolment in a training and research program in the field of chemistry, ultimately leading to the completion of a PhD in Chemistry in partnership with the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). The PhD will be ascribed to the CEX2024-001469-S project funded by the ‘Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades / Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MICIU/AEI)’ in the framework of the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals.
Training and Research Activities
As a PhD trainee, you will have the opportunity to receive comprehensive training to successfully prepare you for a professional career in academia or industry. This objective is achieved by the following activities:
The performance of each individual research project is aligned with one of the research lines of the ICIQ-Severo Ochoa Strategic Plan – Innovative Catalysis, Renewable Energy Vectors, and Molecular Medicine – in a creative and stimulating scientific environment.
The Thesis project will be supervised by two ICIQ Group Leaders (supervisor and co‑supervisor) to ensure that the PhD student benefits from a multidisciplinary project and dual mentorship.
A complementary training program in both technical and soft skills is provided. The educational framework is designed to ensure a successful career: scientific seminars, hands‑on training in the use of state‑of‑the‑art scientific instrumentation, IP management, entrepreneurship, research integrity, knowledge and technology transfer, grant applications, project management, communication skills and career development. ICIQ provides a personalized annual training program for PhD students called SHARP (Severo Ochoa PhD Training Program), which occurs over two weeks and focuses on your specific PhD year.
Opportunities for short‑term placements in distinguished international research institutions.
Candidate Profile
These fellowships are addressed to highly qualified, motivated and talented graduate students with a keen interest in research in Chemistry or adjacent areas. Candidates should have an excellent academic record, a strong commitment to scientific research and a solid working knowledge of English.
The process of evaluation and selection guarantees the principles of competition, publicity and transparency.
I. Available Positions
See Annex.
II. Application Process
The entire application process will be completed online. Applicants must apply via ICIQ’s Career Portal. Applications sent by email or any other means will be ineligible.
Only one application per person will be considered. In case of multiple applications, only the first application submitted will be taken into consideration.
After completing the online form, applicants must attach the following documents:
A full Curriculum Vitae (maximum two (2) DIN A4 pages, in PDF format). It should include education, work or research experience, publications, conferences, grants and awards, other relevant merits and contact details for letters of recommendation.
A personal statement that describes the applicant’s academic background, research experience and career goals (maximum two (2) DIN A4 pages, in PDF format). Candidates must be able to communicate their interests and how these align with ICIQ and the Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellowships for Researchers Training. Candidates should also mention the research groups where they would like to carry out their PhD and the reasons why they are interested in a particular research project.
Official transcripts of BSc and MSc studies in PDF format. A scanned copy of the certified academic record of the studies granting access to the PhD program (BSc and MSc if available). In case that the MSc studies have not yet been completed at the time of the application, candidates must include details on the subjects in which they are currently enrolled (subject name and number of credits). For academic records not issued in Catalan, Spanish or English, a certified translation in English should be provided; otherwise, they will be ineligible and, therefore, not taken into consideration. For degrees obtained in foreign institutions, the academic record must include the range of marks used in the corresponding countries and the minimum mark to pass, as well as the hours or ECTS and marks for each subject.
Contact details for letters of recommendation of two University professors, researchers in industry or other relevant individuals who can assess the candidate’s potential for research. ICIQ will contact the people listed as references only if a candidate is shortlisted. We suggest informing your references.
English proficiency level. Applicants must provide evidence of their proficiency in written and oral communication in the English language, preferably, by the submission of a B2 certificate, Cambridge First Certificate, IELTS 6 or equivalent. This certificate is not mandatory but desirable; alternatively, late‑stage candidates will be interviewed to assess their English level. Applicants from the Anglosphere (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) are exempt from this requirement as native speakers.
Applicants should select only one Thesis project.
Once the application has been successfully completed, an acknowledgement e‑mail will be automatically sent. Candidates must ensure that all information is included before the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
The application period opens on March 30th and closes at midnight (Spain time) on May 3rd, 2026.
III. Eligibility Criteria
The fellowships are addressed to graduate students from any nationality who fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
Candidates must have a Master’s or an equivalent degree in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or related disciplines, that must be completed by the time of enrolment in the PhD program.
Individuals who already hold a PhD degree, whether from a Spanish or foreign university, or those who have previously benefited from a predoctoral training fellowship under the ‘Plan Estatal de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica’ or any of the previous Spanish National Plans by MICIU/AEI are not eligible.
When in doubt regarding the eligibility criteria, applicants should contact ICIQ’s Human Resources Unit at positions@iciq.es before submission of the application.
Candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria will be evaluated according to the Evaluation Criteria described in section IV.
IV. Evaluation Criteria
According to the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals, the evaluation criteria are the following:
Criteria 1. Academic and/or scientific‑technical career path of the candidate (up to 50 points).
Sub‑criteria 1a) Scientific‑technical contributions (up to 45 points). The academic record and other curricular merits of the candidate will be assessed, as well as their suitability for the tasks to be carried out based on training and professional experience.
Sub‑criteria 1b) Mobility and internationalisation (up to 5 points). Short‑term research stays in national and international institutions, universities, and industry will be assessed, considering the prestige of the entity hosting the stay and the activity carried out therein, as well as the impact of the research stays on the research career path of the candidate.
Criteria 2. Suitability of the candidate for the proposed research activities (up to 50 points). The candidate’s suitability for the program, project, and planned research activities will be evaluated based on their prior training and experience. In this context, consideration will be given to the added value that undertaking the project would bring to their research career, as well as the value the candidate would contribute to the host institution and research groups.
V. Evaluation and Selection Process
The evaluation and selection of the candidates will be conducted by the ICIQ Severo Ochoa Committee for Predoctoral Training following the guidelines set by the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals, supported by the Human Resources team, and following the procedure below:
Submitted applications will be checked for eligibility, and those not fulfilling all the criteria will be rejected. It will not be possible to modify the application or to add missing documentation after the call deadline.
The selection will be based on the evaluation criteria described in Section IV.
At the late stages of the selection process, short‑listed candidates will be contacted for a personal interview.
All applicants will be informed of the final selection decision by early June 2026.
Successful candidates will be requested to inform ICIQ whether they accept or decline the offer within five business days of being notified. If the applicant does not respond during this time, the offer will be considered declined.
ICIQ follows in its selection processes a gender equality opportunity policy and a non‑discrimination policy based on age, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language and disability.
ICIQ is committed to promoting a work‑life balance for its employees and, as such, offers flexible working hours.
VI. Fellowship Conditions
The awardees of a ICIQ Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellowship for Researchers Training will be considered research personnel in training, and they will have an employment contract (a predoctoral contract), which is regulated in the Spanish Law 14/2011, of June 1st, of Science, Technology and Education.
The fellowship conditions are set out in the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals, in the framework of the ‘Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023’. Articles 10, 11 and 29.
The fellowship includes the salary, the enrolment fees to a PhD program (up to 4 years) and funding to carry out short stays in other institutions, companies or universities abroad.
Predoctoral contracts are renewed annually for up to 4 years. Renewal is subject to satisfactory performance in the PhD studies and related research activities.
The gross yearly salary of the contract shall be split into 12 monthly payments and distributed as shown below:
The first year of PhD: 20,364.88 €/year
The second, third and fourth year of PhD: 25,456.10 €/year
The amounts are stated according to the ‘Estatuto del Personal Investigador en Formación (EPIF)’ rules and Article 10.4 of the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals. They will be increased if the EPIF is updated.
The contract will take effect on the date when the awarded student joins the centre. The fellowship holders can become postdoctoral researchers during a postdoctoral training period (POP) if they defend their PhD thesis before the end of the fellowship. The total duration of both periods (doctoral and postdoctoral) cannot exceed 48 months.
The fellowship includes full social security coverage through the Spanish Social Security system, providing access to the Spanish public health care system and pension and unemployment benefits.
The fellowship holder is entitled to temporarily interrupt the fellowship under the circumstances set forth in Article 21. c) of the Spanish Law 14/2011, of June 1st, of Science, Technology and Education, and in Article 24.5 of the 2024 ‘Centros de Excelencia «Severo Ochoa» y Unidades «María de Maeztu»’ call for proposals (i.e., part‑time leave for reasons such as maternity or paternity, reduced working hours due to care of family members). The period of interruption shall not count against the total duration of the fellowship.
The awardees will work full‑time at ICIQ and may not receive any other fellowship funding with the same purpose or regular income.
VII. Scientific and Technical Monitoring of Activities for the Training of Predoctoral Researchers
Predoctoral researchers in training must report to the ‘Agencia Estatal de Investigación’ on the activities carried out and the fulfilment of the training program. They are required to prepare two reports: an interim report at month 20 of the fellowship, and a final report covering the entire duration of the fellowship, including the POP period, if applicable.
Researchers will receive support from the HR Unit and the ICIQ Severo Ochoa Project Manager throughout the entire duration of the fellowship.
VIII. Indicative Calendar
Call opening: 30 March 2026
Call deadline: 03 May 2026
Evaluation and selection process: May/June 2026
Final resolution: from 12 June 2026
Annex: Available Positions
Reference: CEX2024-FPI-2026-1Supervisor: Prof. Jordi BurésCo‑supervisor: Prof. Ruben MartinTitle: Unravelling the mechanistic intricacies of catalytic chain‑walking reactions
Reference: CEX2024-FPI-2026-2Supervisor: Prof. Mónica H. Pérez‑TempranoCo‑supervisor: Prof. Jordi BurésTitle: Unveiling C(sp3)–H Activation Principles in Cp*Co(III) Catalysis for Innovative Synthetic Methodologies
Reference: CEX2024-FPI-2026-3Supervisor: Prof. José A. BerrocalCo‑supervisor: Prof. Pablo BallesterTitle: Mechanoresponsive Polymers with Embedded Macrocycles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications
Reference: CEX2024-FPI-2026-4Supervisor: Prof. Núria LópezCo‑supervisor: Prof. J.R. Galán‑MascarósTitle: Design of doping strategies in advanced Fischer Tropsch catalysts
Reference: CEX2024-FPI-2026-5Supervisor: Prof. Beatriz Prieto‑SímónCo‑supervisor: Prof. José A. BerrocalTitle: Biofilm based bioelectronic device to unravel AMR mechanisms
Please refer to the Severo Ochoa page with detailed information on the available positions, the grant conditions, application documents and the fellowship eligibility criteria.
CEX2024-001469-S funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033
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