Job Description

IRB Barcelona is offering up to 8 PhD fellowships for young scientists from the national and international community who wish to undertake a doctoral degree in Biomedicine or Organic Chemistry. We encourage applications from highly motivated graduates with outstanding qualifications in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, pharmacology, computational biology or related fields. Successful candidates will join research groups headed by top-level scientists and will carry out their research in cutting-edge fields of biomedicine in a stimulating environment.

The following will be offered in this call:

• Up to 8 FPI positions associated with the “Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025” Call (funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación AEI- MICINN).

Check out IRB Barcelona groups participating:

• Dr. Angel R. Nebreda - Stress Signaling in Cancer
• Dr. Marco Milán - Development and Growth Control Laboratory
• Dr. Núria López-Bigas - Biomedical Genomics
• Dr. Roger Gomis - Growth Control and Cancer Metastasis
• Dr. Salvador Aznar Benitah - Stem Cells and Cancer
• Dr. Stefanie Wculek - Innate Immune Biology
• Dr. Toni Gabaldón - Comparative Genomics
• Dr. Xavier Salvatella - Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics

Start date of fellowships (depending on the official announcement by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI-MICINN): 1 January - 1 September 2027

ELIGIBILITY

1. The programme is aimed at students who have completed one of the following options between December 2026 and July 2027:
2. Studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine or related fields and that have 300 credits (ECTS), of which at least 60 must correspond to master level.
3. A degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area and that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine or related fields in Spain.
4. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curricula. The academic grades and curriculum vitae of each applicant are evaluated, as well as recommendation letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants will be asked to send the following documents in English: *Please note that all the documents provided should be in PDF format.

• Curriculum vitae specifying education and experience, including career breaks, and supported by pertinent documents.
• A motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting your research experience and academic achievements and explaining why you are interested in IRB Barcelona and in a particular research group.
• A scanned copy of the student’s certified Academic Record. These documents must show the grades. If the certified academic records are not in Spanish or English applicants should also attach a translation in one of the above mentioned languages.
• Any additional files considered relevant to the application.
• Two recommendation letters from university lecturers or scientists with who the applicant has studied or worked. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that referees send these letters to academicoffice@irbbarcelona.org. Applications not supported by these letters will not be eligible. If the applicant has previously worked with a researcher at IRB Barcelona, any letter of reference from said person cannot be included as one of the two reference letters requested. However, it can be sent to provide additional support for the application.

Please indicate the Research Group to which you wish to apply. Details of the available research projects for the FPI fellowships are provided in Annex 1 of the (FPI-Project) associated with the “Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025” Call (funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación AEI- MICINN).

More information on the research activities of each group can be found on the IRB Barcelona webpage.

For more information, please, contact academicoffice@irbbarcelona.org.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Evaluation criteria:

Criteria 1. Academic and/or scientific-technical career path of the candidate (up to 50 points).

Sub-criteria

1. a) 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.
2. b) Mobility and internationalisation (up to 5 points). Short stays in national and international institutions, universities, and industry will be assessed based on the prestige of the hosting entity and the activities conducted during the stay. Additionally, the impact of the research stays on the candidate’s career will also be considered.

Criteria 2. Adequacy of the candidate to the research activities to be carried out (up to 50 points).

The adequacy of the candidates for the program, project or research activities to be carried out will be assessed based on their previous training and experience. For that purpose, consideration shall be given to the added value that carrying out the project will represent for their research career, as well as the value contributed to the institution and the host research group.

Evaluation and Selection Process:

The evaluation and selection of the candidates will be performed by the project supervisor, supported by the IRB Academic Office, and following the procedure below:

1. Submitted applications will be checked for eligibility by the Academic Office, 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.
2. The selection will be based on the evaluation criteria described in Section "Eligibility".
3. At the late stages of the selection process, short-listed candidates will be contacted for a personal interview.
4. All applicants will be notified of the final selection decision when the selection process has been completed and the candidate has been selected and accepted. Candidates may submit allegations they deem to be appropriate, within 10 days of the date of the publication.

Successful candidates will be requested to inform IRB Academic Office (academicoffice@irbbarcelona.org) 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.

CALENDAR

Tentative Agenda:

Call opening: 15 September 2026

Deadline for candidacies: 28 October 2026, 15:00 CET

Deadline for referees: 30 October 2026, 15:00 CET

Online Interviews: TBD November 2026

Notification to candidates: 4 December 2026 (TBC)

Start date of fellowships (depending on the official announcement by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI-MICINN): 1 January - 1 September 2027

WHY ENROLL IN THE PREDOCTORAL PROGRAMME IN BIOMEDICINE AT IRB BARCELONA?

Choose IRB Barcelona's Predoctoral Programme in Biomedicine to forge a truly impactful scientific career. Our PhD Programme in Biomedicine is meticulously designed for highly motivated researchers eager to advance scientific knowledge and tackle pressing biomedical challenges. As a global leading biomedical research institute and Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, we offer an unparalleled opportunity to conduct groundbreaking biomedical research in a vibrant, international, and multidisciplinary environment, shaping you into a future leader in academia or industry.

Our doctoral training is deeply research-intensive, blending advanced coursework, essential laboratory rotations, and thorough evaluations. This culminates in an original research project, developed within one of our state-of-the-art laboratories, ensuring you gain the expertise to contribute significantly to the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases.

Barcelona is one of the world's most dynamic biomedical hubs. The city boasts a dense ecosystem of research centers, universities, hospitals, spin-offs, and pharmaceutical companies, fostering a perfect environment for cutting-edge discoveries to become impactful innovations. This rich network provides invaluable opportunities for collaboration, networking, and translating basic research into real-world applications.

Beyond the lab, Barcelona is an incredible place to live. As a young student in your twenties, you'll be immersed in a city consistently rated among the best for quality of life. Enjoy a vibrant cultural scene, exquisite Mediterranean cuisine, and year-round excellent weather perfect for relaxing on beautiful beaches or exploring the city's unique architecture and lively neighborhoods. It's a city where your scientific pursuits can thrive alongside a rich, fulfilling personal life.

ABOUT IRB BARCELONA,

Created in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and the University of Barcelona, IRB Barcelona, a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since the first call in 2011, has received the accreditation four consecutive times.

The institute is devoted to conducting research of excellence in biomedicine and to transferring results to clinical practice, thus improving people’s quality of life, while simultaneously promoting the training of outstanding researchers, technology transfer, and public communication of science. Its 27 laboratories and 9 core facilities address basic questions in biology and are oriented towards diseases such as cancer, metastasis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and rare conditions.

IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 500 members from 45 nationalities. It is located in the Barcelona Science Park. IRB Barcelona forms part of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and the “Xarxa de Centres de Recerca de Catalunya” (CERCA).

IRB BARCELONA endorses the Requirements and Principles of the European Charter for Researchers, the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and Open, Transparent, Merit-based recruitment promoted by the European Commission and follows Equal Opportunities policies.

On 9 December, 2014, IRB Barcelona was awarded the "HR Excellence in Research" logo. This recognition reflects the commitment of the Institute to the continuous improvement of its human resources policies in line with the Charter & Code. The Institute works to ensure fair and transparent recruitment and appraisal procedures.

Please check our Recruitment Policy.

Note: The strengths and weaknesses of the applications will be provided upon request.