Practical guide for foreign researchers in Spain 2008

6. Financing: Aids and Grants

6.1. Information on contracts, grants and aid on the Internet

There are many sources of information on the aids, grants and job offers for Spanish and foreign researchers who wish to work in our country. The different research entities (universities, technology parks, institutes, foundations, scientific facilities and public research entities) offer a great deal of information on grants, aid, extended studies and doctoral programs on their websites.

The European Commission has launched the Pan-European Researcher's Mobility Portal http://europa.eu.int/euraxess) as a tool to facilitate researchers' mobility. From the home page, you can access the "Research job vacancies" and "fellowships and grants" sections, where research entities from around Europe publish their job vacancies and grant offers in a centralized location.

This portal has mirror portals in each country of the European Union. In Spain, the Spanish Researcher's Mobility Portal http://www.euraxess.es has a section with grants and job offers for researchers that provides more or less centralized access to the different information resources on job opportunities for researchers in our country.

6.2. Grant and aid programs

There are regional, national and international grant and aid programs that facilitate researchers' mobility in a variety of sectors.

6.2.1. European Programs

The most important European grants are the European Commission's Marie Curie Grants. This program, part of the current 7th EU Research Framework Program (2007-2013), offers financing throughout the entire research career, from the pre-doctoral stage to the post-doctoral stage and up to researchers with over 10 years of experience. There are grants for European citizens and for those from outside the European Union. The main characteristic of the program is mobility to another country. The web page http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people offers access to all the information on this grant program.

6.2.2 National Programs

6.2.2.1. Ministry of Science and Innovation Programs

The Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) has several grant and financing programs for researchers or their mobility. The following is a brief summary of the main programs.

Ramón y Cajal Program

Aid for hiring by Spanish R&D centers of doctors in all areas of knowledge for a period of 5 years. As a requirement, applying researchers must certify that they have a doctorate and that not more than 10 years have past since the degree was earned by the date on which the application submission period established in the notice ends. The date on which the doctorate was obtained will be considered to be the date on which the doctoral thesis was read and approved. The applicant must also fulfill one of the following two requirements related to mobility:

• Having spent time at R&D Centers, other than the one to be joined through this program, for at least 24 months after, earning the doctorate and up to the signing of the incorporation agreement
• Having studied and obtained the doctorate entirely at a foreign university, with at least 24 months having passed after obtaining the doctorate and up to the signing of the incorporation agreement.

These requirements may be waived if the applicant certifies a degree of disability equal to or greater than 65%, in which case it is only necessary for at least 24 months to have passed after obtaining the doctorate and up to the signing of the incorporation agreement.

Juan de la Cierva Program

These are aids for hiring by Spanish R&D centers of doctors in all areas of knowledge for a period of 3 years. Researchers must fulfill one of the following requirements related to mobility, unless the applicant certifies a degree of disability equal to or greater than 65%, in which case the requirements indicated below may be waived:

• Researchers who have obtained the doctorate during the 18 months prior to the end of the period for submitting applications or who are preparing the doctoral thesis when the application submission period ends. They must join an R&D Center different than the one at which they completed their doctoral thesis.
• Researchers who have earned the doctorate before the 18 months prior to the end of the application submission period:
  • To join an R&D Center different than the one at which they completed their doctoral thesis: they must have spent time at R&D Centers, other than the one to be joined, for at least 12 months after earning the doctorate and before the end of the application submission period.
  • To join the same R&D Center at which they completed their doctoral thesis: they must have spent time at R&D Centers, other than the one to be joined, for at least 24 months after earning the doctorate and before the end of the application submission period.

Researchers who have studied and obtained their doctorate entirely at a foreign university may join any R&D Center.

Torres Quevedo Program

The Torres Quevedo Program finances R&D personnel (doctors or technologists; that is those with a post-graduate degree with at least one year of experience in R&D) at private companies, business associations and technology centers for R&D projects and preliminary viability studies. These notices are financed by the European Social Fund and are offered in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Integrated Actions Program

Bilateral collaboration program between research groups from Spain and another country to carry out a joint research project. The program finances travel and accommodation in the other country. Participating countries: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and South Africa.

Research Staff Training (FPI) Grants

This aid offers scientific training to university post-graduate students who wish to write their doctoral thesis in any area of knowledge, enabling them to receive training in specific research projects financed by the National R&D and Innovation Plan.

University Staff Training (FPU) Grants

Their purpose is to promote third-cycle training (doctorate) for students of have completed their second-cycle studies (undergraduate degree) and wish to focus their professional activity on teaching and research.

Doctoral Program Student's Mobility

The Secretariat of State for Universities and Research offers aid for the doctorate programs that have received Quality Certification for the following school year. The purpose of mobility for third-cycle students in doctorate programs is to motivate the exchange, quality and excellence of public and non-profit private universities.

UAs-CSIC Grants

These grants are the result of the collaboration agreement between the Secretariat of State for Universities and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) to offer a quality training program in third-cycle studies. Their objective is to produce doctoral theses developed within the framework of the Associated Units (UAs) between the universities and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).

Post-doctoral Grants

The purpose of this program is to provide improvement grants for a maximum period of 2 years at centers of excellence (preferably abroad) so that doctoral students who complete their third-cycle training and defend their doctoral thesis can conduct research work that completes this stage in their education. They are offered by the Secretariat of State for Universities and Research and include the MICINN/Fulbright grants.

Mobility: Sabbaticals and Professors Abroad