Doctoral Training Scholarships

There is a wide range of pre-doctoral scholarships that cover tuition fees (part or all of them) and may on occasion allow UC3M to offer the candidate a work contract as a research assisstant.
 

Each awarding body has its own deadlines, application process and selection criteria. 

Besides applying for financial aid, it is necessary to submit an application to the UC3M Ph.D. Program, since awarding bodies will require candidates to provide proof of acceptance to a Ph.D. Program during the application process.

Doctoral research will be carried out as part of the Ph.D. Program in which the student is enrolled, under the supervision of the assigned tutor and advisor. Research and teaching activity will be conducted at the Department or Institute where the contract is based.

The following is a list of the most common pre-doctoral scholarships:

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid receives these funds on an annual basis to cover for employment contracts for Ph.D. students of any area of research during a maximum of four years. The scholarship enables recipients to become a part of the teaching staff of the Spanish higher education and scientific research system.

The aid covers a work contract as a teaching assistant and Ph.D. monitoring fees (€ 390, according to tuition fees established for the current academic year).

Important: If you are applying for a FPU financial aid, it is also required to apply for admission to a PhD Program. Please note that, in order to sign the predoc contract, you must have finished your official master studies, a fundamental requisite to receive the formal admission to the Program.

Information about application for admission is available at https://www.ciencia.gob.es/Convocatorias/2024/FPU2023.html

These scholarships are received on an annual basis by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid to fund work contracts for Ph.D. candidates for a maximum period of four years. This financial aid is hosted by the National Training Sub-Programme to Develop, Attract and Retain Talent in the framework of the State Plan of Scientific, Technical and Innovative Research 2021-2023, which aims at increasing the quantity and qualification of new Ph.D. graduates.

The aid covers a work contract of the Ph.D. candidate and a €6,860 grant that covers academic fees (Ph.D. monitoring fees plus complementary, cross-curricular and specific training), and research visits.

Scholarships will be awarded within 6 months from the date of the last call for applications.

Latest call for applications: PhD Candidate - Predoctoral Knowledge Generation Projects

https://www.uc3m.es/employment/faculty

Electronic signature is required for applicants located in the Spanish territory.

The Community of Madrid, in order to promote research in areas considered of strategic interest to the region and strengthen the research groups of universities and research organizations, offers these grants with the purpose of hiring pre-doctoral research personnel in training to carry out their doctoral thesis and graduate with an International PhD distinction.

The aid covers the hiring of the doctoral student in training plus expenses from research stays abroad (travel expenses, transportation, accommodation and support plus mandatory insurance and visa).

The granting of aids will be determined through a competitive bidding process within a maximum period of 6 months from the call.

Call: Order 5067/2023, December 27th 2023

If you are applying for this predoctoral financial aid, it is also required to apply for admission to a PhD Program for the 24/25 academic year.

Information about application for admission is available at www.uc3m.es/phdprogram/admission/admission-phd-programs

Applications are processed online by the UC3M Research Service.

Application period: January 16th through February 5th 2024 (11:59 pm).

Further information

Pre-doctoral research training scholarships (PIPF)

Scholarships established by the Faculty Vice-chancellorship at UC3M. Recipients join the UC3M departments and Ph.D. programs under a research training contract.

1.  April. These scholarships are awarded in July. Recipients join the department in September;
    
2.  November. These scholarships are awarded in February. Recipients join the department in March.

These scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. The aid covers a work contract as a teaching assistant, Ph.D. monitoring fees (390€ according to tuition fees for the last academic year) and 6 credits for complementary or cross-curricular training.

Further information (Predoctoral section)

Scholarships for predoctoral contracts funded by research projects

Scholarships for doctoral thesis developed in the framework of UC3M research projects

There are two main application periods during the year academic:

1.  April. These scholarships are awarded in July. Recipients join the department in September.
    
2.  October. These scholarships are awarded in January. Recipients join the department in February.

The aid covers a work contract as a research assistant.

Further information(Predoctoral section)

Financial Aids for Industrial Ph.D. CAM

The objective of these financial aids is to promote the collaboration and transference of knowledge between academia and corporations with the recruitment of young researchers. An Industrial Ph.D. enable these students to join corporations once the financial aid has expired, thus contributing to a stronger research work and competitiveness of companies in Madrid.

The recipients are both the academic institution (which receives funds to cover tuition fees, equipment, etc.) and the companies (as employer of the Ph.D. candidate). The maximum duration of these financial aids is 3 years.

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Comunidad de Madrid announces the new call for financial aids for Industrial PhD 2023 to carry out the doctoral project in companies collaborating with a University research group.

The financial aid has to be requested by both the institution where the thesis supervisor or co-supervisor is based and the company that signs the collaboration agreement to develop the Industrial PhD project and hires the doctoral student.

Further information | Information at UC3M: oscruzs@pa.uc3m.es (Research Service)

Financial Aids for the recruiting of researchers in training at companies (Industrial Ph.D.) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation

The objective of these aids is to train doctors in companies by co-financing the labour contracts of trainee research staff participating in an industrial research or experimental development project being carried out in companies, in which their doctoral thesis will be framed, in order to favour the labour insertion of researchers in companies from the beginning of their professional careers, contribute to the employability of these researchers and promote the incorporation of talent to the productive fabric in order to increase its competitiveness.

The recipients of these aids are the companies, which receive funding for tuition fees (1.500€), stays (up to 2.400€), and the salary of the Ph.D. candidate under contract. The maximum duration of these financial aids is 4 years.

Further information

La Caixa

https://lacaixafoundation.org/en/doctoral-inphinit-fellowships

Fundación Carolina

2024 application call for doctoral studies from Fundación Carolina, aimed at promoting the achievement of the academic degree of Ph.D. among the teaching staff of Latin American universidties associated wint Fundación Carolina.

A doctoral program can be carries out in those Spanish universities that have signed an agreement with Fundación Carolina, and in all academic areas.

These scholarships are based on a co-financing regime.

Call is open until April 4, 2024.

Application call

Application instructions

More information on the Fundación Carolina aids and scholarships

Fundación Ramón Areces

https://www.fundacionareces.es/fundacionareces/en/scholarships-and-grants/call-of-grants/