Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships 2020/2021 for International Students – Spain

The Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) is advertising a Postdoctoral Fellowship call: “la Caixa” Foundation Junior Leader Programme

Application Deadline: 7th October 2020

Eligible Countries: International

To Be Taken At (Country): Either of the 2 universities that make the CRAG consortium (University of Barcelona (UB), and Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)),  Spain.

About the Award: The postdoctoral fellowships programme, Junior Leader “la Caixa”  is aimed at hiring excellent researchers—of any nationality—who wish to continue their research career in Spain or Portugal. Sponsored by Obra Social ”la Caixa”, the objectives of this programme are to foster high-quality, innovative research and to support the best scientific talents by providing them with an attractive, competitive environment in which to conduct excellent research.

The Junior Leader programme is divided into two different frames:

• “la Caixa” Junior Leader – Incoming: 30 postdoctoral fellowships for researchers of all nationalities. They will be offered a three-year employment contract to conduct a research project at a centre accredited with a distinction of excellence, such as the “Severo Ochoa” (which CRAG holds). For Spanish institutions, candidates must have resided in Spain less than 12 months in the last three years.
• “la Caixa” Junior Leader – Retaining: 15 postdoctoral fellowships for researchers of all nationalities to carry out research at any university or research centre in Spain (including CRAG) or Portugal. For Spanish institutions, candidates must have resided in Spain more than 12 months in the last three years.

By means of a complementary training programme, these fellowships are intended to consolidate research skills and to foster an independent scientific career as an option for the future.

Type: Fellowship

Eligibility: The program is aimed at international students who have completed one of the following options by July 2019:

• studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related areas and that have 300 credits (ECTS), of which at least 60 must correspond to master level.
• a degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or related areas.

2. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curriculum. Academic grades and the curriculum of applicants are evaluated, as well as reference letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

3. Candidates cannot be in possession a PhD Degree.

4. Candidates cannot have been hired as predoctoral students for more than 12 months before the start of the PhD Program.

5. Candidates cannot have started a pre-doctoral fellowship funded by the Spanish “Plan Estatal de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica” or any previous “Plan Nacional”.

The doctoral program is in English. Therefore, a good knowledge of English is absolutely required. We encourage candidates to support the application with scores of internationally valid language exams like TOEFL or other tests. However, they are not mandatory: a verifiable education in English, or a reasonably long stay in an English speaking country are also convincing.

Selection: Applicants will be selected by the Principal Investigator responsible for the chosen project or projects (candidates may apply to more than one project). Successful applicants will start their PhD projects in autumn 2019.

Number of Awards: 45 (30 Postdoctorate Junior Leader – Incoming AND Postdoctorate Junior Leader – Retaining)

Value of Award: Researchers of the Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme will have a labor contract in accordance with employment legislation in force in Spain or Portugal, pursuant to provisions regarding occupational health and safety and social security, with access to suitable resources, equipment and facilities. Additionally, the fellowship includes mobility and family allowances.

Duration of Programme: 3 Years

How to Apply: 

• If interested in applying, please carefully read the Application requirements and procedure and check out all available projects.

Visit Programme Webpage for Details