- Call open: January 1, 2026.
- Online Info Day: January 12, 2026. Watch the recording session
- Application deadline: February 28, 2026, at 24:00 CET.
- Evaluation and Selection period: March – July 2026.
- Results announced: September 2026.
- Fellowship start date: October – December 2026 (flexible start).
In support of equality and non-discrimination principles, gender, age, nationality, race, or any other discrimination or inequality issues will not be considered during the application and selection process. Scientific/academic merits and excellence of the candidates are the only criteria for evaluation. To avoid that ‘unconscious’ or ‘implicit’ bias unintentionally influences judgements and opinions about others, the members of the panels involved in the selection process will be properly trained and instructions to be aware of their own biases will be provided in the guidelines for the evaluators. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for the positions.
The two eligibility criteria to comply by prospective candidates are related to mobility and experience:
Mobility rule
Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the deadline for the programme call (February 28th, 2026).
Experience rule
At the date of recruitment, researchers must not be in possession of a doctoral degree. Those that have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be eligible either. Recruited researchers must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree at UAB at the time of signing the contract.
All applications must be submitted via the PHYNEST online application platform: PHYNEST online application platform.
Applicants are required to submit their application in English, including the following information and supporting documents:
General information from the applicant
A free-format Curriculum Vitae (CV) of maximum of 4 pages and a motivation letter of maximum 2 pages. The CV may include details on academic history, research interests, relevant work experience, publications, honours/awards, accomplishments, etc. The motivation letter should include a concise introduction stating which PhD research topics the candidate is applying for (three preferred options), while emphasizing any key skills the candidate possesses that makes him/her an ideal candidate, and the interest and motivation for applying. All applicants should also provide two recommendation letters, ideally issued by former teachers or supervisors (e.g., master’s thesis advisor) of the candidate. Recommendation letters must include the date and signature.
BSc and MSc academic transcripts
Digital/scanned copies of bachelor (BSc) and master (MSc) degrees and their official translation in English or Spanish where necessary. Candidates must submit a single PDF document for each degree that includes the official certificate of the academic degree and the transcript of records showing the grades obtained. As a general rule, the following will apply for admission of the student to a PhD programme: (i) to hold an European Higher Education Area (EHEA) member country university degree that qualifies the candidate for access to a master’s degree and to have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS in the set of official university studies of which, at least 60 ECTS must be at master’s level, or (ii) an official Spanish graduate degree of at least 300 ECTS. Detailed information on the documents required for admission to a PhD programme can be consulted on the UAB website. In case of not providing master degree certification, the candidate must include a declaration of compliance with all requirements to access to the doctoral programme at the time of starting the fellowship (template provided in the “Documents and templates” tab).
Proof of English level
All applicants must provide documentation of sufficient communication skills in English. Supporting documentation of English proficiency must be uploaded during application from an internationally recognized body (minimum of TOEFL 72, IELTS 5-6.5, CEFR B2, B2 First (FCE), PTE Level 3). Candidates from English-speaking countries or those that conducted an official BSc and/or MSc degree entirely in English are not required to provide proof of their English level, provided that an official document confirming this is properly submitted in the section: proof of English level.
Mobility declaration
Template provided in the “Documents and templates” tab. The template must be completed following the instructions provided in the document and duly signed.
Our selection process will be transparent, rigorous, and fair, ensuring that the most qualified and promising candidates are selected for the program. The process will be divided into four key phases:
Phase I: Eligibility Check
In this initial phase, the Project Management Team (PMT) will verify that all candidates meet the basic admission requirements and that the documents submitted are correct. Candidates’ academic backgrounds (BSc/MSc) will be reviewed, ensuring they have not already obtained a doctoral degree and that their profile is suitable for PhD studies and research project. The PMT will also check that candidates hold a BSc and MSc degree in the same or a related field as their first research project choice. Those who do not meet these criteria will be considered ineligible. It is expected that the entire process will take 30 days.
Phase II: Evaluation of merits
Applications from eligible candidates will be sent to the Catalan Agency for University and Research Grants (AGAUR) for an independent scientific evaluation. Using a peer review system, at least three independent experts will assess each application based on scientific merit and academic excellence. This external review process will ensure impartiality and a high standard of evaluation for all applicants. The results will be notified to all applicants by e-mail, with twice the number of available positions, i.e., 50 short-listed candidates, being invited for a remote interview (Phase III). The external scientific evaluation will take place between April and June 2026.
Phase III: Interviews
Candidates with the highest scores from Phase II will be invited to an online interview. This stage will be designed to gain a deeper understanding of the candidates’ profiles and to evaluate their personal and communication skills. The 20-minute interview will allow the Interview Panel to assess each candidate’s motivation, ability to work independently and as part of a team, and genuine interest in the program. The candidates will be asked to explain their academic/scientific background, merits, and suitability of the profile to the position, eventually with PowerPoint slides as support material, for 10 minutes. This will be followed by a Q&A session with the candidate and the evaluation committee for another 10 minutes. The interviews will take place in June-July.
Phase IV: Final ranking and appointment
The PMT will create a final ranking list by weighting the scores from Phase II (evaluation of merits) and Phase III (interviews) equally (50% each). Based on this list, final decisions will be made, and selected candidates will be officially appointed. An overall assessment report will be sent to non-selected candidates, and those on the reserve list will be notified. Finally, the selected candidates will be contacted to formally begin their enrolment in the PhD program.
An opportunity to submit a request for redress will be available for applicants after each evaluation phase, if they believe the selection process or the final score is unfair or incorrect. The deadline to submit an appeal is 7 calendar days from receiving the email notification for a specific stage: eligibility check (Phase I), evaluation of merits (Phase II), interviews (Phase III). Requests must be sent by email to phynest.cofund@uab.cat using the redress template provided in the “Documents and templates” section. Each appeal will be reviewed individually before a final decision is made. The review will be conducted by the PMT (for Phases I and III) or by AGAUR (for Phase II). If the appeal is accepted, the application will be reviewed again. Candidates will be notified of the final decision within 10 working days.
Watch the video of the PHYNEST Info Day to find out more about the programme’s call and get answers to your questions about the application process.