Timeline
- 1st call open: April 1st, 2024.
- 1st call deadline: June 30th, 2024 at 00:00h CEST.
- Evaluation and Selection: July–September, 2024
- Expected publication of results: October, 2024
- Fellowship start date: December–March, 2025 (flexible incorporation)
Who can apply?
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.
Eligibility criteria:
- 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.
- Experience rule: researchers must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. 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.
Please check the Guidelines for applicants for detailed information on the application process.
Application process
All applications must be submitted through the TOUCH online application platform.
Candidates must submit an application in English containing the following information and documents:
- Information from the applicant: includes a CV in Europass template (max. 4 pages) and a motivation letter (max. 2 pages). The CV should include applicant’s background, awards, scholarships, meetings, publications, etc. The motivation letter should be added at the end of the CV and specify the preference of a maximum of three topics and supervisors from the available list and the reasons and motivation for selecting those options. All applicants should also provide at least two letters of recommendation, ideally from faculty members (including master’s thesis advisor) who know the applicant’s academic skills and experiences.
- Proof of academic records: digital/scanned copy with all academic certificates (Bachelor’s and Master’s degree) and the respective official transcription in English or Spanish. Detailed information on the documents required for admission to a PhD programme can be consulted on the UAB website, but, in general, candidates must hold a Spanish degree or equivalent and a Master’s degree. 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: doctoral candidates must have a demonstrable level of English. A proof of upper-intermediate level must be included in the application; this should take the form of one of the recognised international qualifications (minimum CEFR B2, Cambridge English First (FCE), PTE Level 3, IELTS 5-6.5 or TOEFL > 72). Copy or internet print of the exam results must be uploaded to the online application system. Applicants from native English-speaking countries can apply without the need for proof of level. An official degree (including postgraduate) conducted in English as the only Language will be also accepted as a proof of level.
- Mobility declaration: template provided in the “Documents and templates” tab.
Evaluation process
The TOUCH selection process is carried out in four main phases:
Eligibility check: each application will be carefully checked against the mobility and doctoral candidates eligibility rules and those not fulfilling the criteria will be considered ineligible. Applications submitted after the deadline or missing application documents will also not be accepted. Only those applications passing through the eligibility check will go to the external evaluation. It is expected that the full process will take 10 days to complete.
Evaluation of merits: applications will be evaluated and scored by the external Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) considering the education and previous experience of the candidate. More specifically, the SEC will assess the Bachelor and Master education, research and working experience, English level, suitability of the profile to the programme, and the motivation letter (further information is provided in the “evaluation criteria” tab). It is expected that the full process will be completed in one month.
Interviews: shortlisted candidates from the evaluation of merits will be invited to a 20-minute remote interview with the following structure: Part 1 (10 minutes): introduction and oral presentation of the candidate’s merits, including scientific/academic background and appropriateness for the position. Part 2 (10 minutes): interactive Q&A session to get additional insights and assess the suitability of the candidate.
Final scoring and ranking: the final ranking of each candidate will be calculated taking into account the results from the evaluation of merits (50% scoring weight) and the interviews (50% scoring weight). The selected applicants will be asked to sign an acceptance letter within a period of 15 days, and they will start the appointment process. If an offer is rejected or the applicant does not reply to the offer, the reserve list will be activated by order of ranking.
Evaluation criteria
Please check the “Guide for applicants” for detailed information.
Redress appeals
An opportunity to submit a request for redress will be available for applicants after each evaluation phase if they believe that the process or scores obtained are not fair. A period of 10 days will be given for the redress procedure after receiving the email informing of their eligibility, evaluation of merits or final ranking position after the interview stage. Requests must be sent by email to pr.cofund.touch@uab.cat using the redress template. The Project Management Team will carefully review each redress request on an individual basis before taking a final decision. A maximum of 10 days will be given to communicate the result of the redress procedure. If the appeal is accepted, the application will be reviewed again. For the evaluation of merits, the application will be sent to different experts to contrast with the original evaluation to spot inconsistencies in the process.
Documents and templates
Any questions?
Join us on 30 April 2024 for the TOUCH Info Day, an online session for doctoral candidates to explore the opportunities provided by the TOUCH doctoral program. Learn more about the call and get answers to your questions about the application process.
