Program Overview

Introduction to the La Caixa Foundation Junior Leader 2026 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Junior Leader postdoctoral fellowship program is aimed at candidates who obtained their doctorate between 2 and 7 years before the closing date of the call for applications. This program has two modalities: Incoming Call and Retaining Call for Applications.

Target Audience

The Junior Leader Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is aimed at candidates who obtained their PhD between 2 and 7 years before the closing date of the call for applications. The two modalities are:

• Incoming Call: 20 three-year scholarships for researchers of all nationalities, offering an employment contract to carry out a research project in STEM areas at Spanish centers accredited with the Severo Ochoa, María de Maeztu or Carlos III Health Research Institute distinctions of excellence. Candidates must have resided in Spain for less than 12 months in the last three years.
• Retaining Call for Applications: 20 three-year postdoctoral fellowships for researchers of all nationalities to continue their research in STEM fields at any university or research center in Spain. Candidates wishing to join a Spanish research center must have resided in Spain for more than 12 months in the last three years and have completed international pre- or postdoctoral research stays at centers outside of Spain for a period of at least six months prior to the application deadline, whether continuous or intermittent.

Place of Submission

To process the signing of the declaration of interests, the documentation that proves compliance with the requirements of the call and a letter of acceptance from the Department in which you wish to join must be provided. This letter should indicate the reasons for accepting your candidacy and be signed by the Director of the said Department.

Remuneration

The terms and conditions of remuneration can be found on the funding organization's website, specifically for the Incoming call and the Retaining call.

Program Details

The program is divided into two main categories:

• Incoming Call: Focuses on researchers who have not resided in Spain for more than 12 months in the last three years.
• Retaining Call for Applications: Targets researchers who have resided in Spain for more than 12 months in the last three years and have completed international research stays.

Requirements

• Candidates must have obtained their PhD between 2 and 7 years before the closing date of the call for applications.
• For the Incoming Call, candidates must have resided in Spain for less than 12 months in the last three years.
• For the Retaining Call for Applications, candidates must have resided in Spain for more than 12 months in the last three years and have completed international pre- or postdoctoral research stays at centers outside of Spain for a period of at least six months prior to the application deadline.

Application Deadline

The internal deadline for applications is September 19, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

Research Areas

The program focuses on STEM areas at Spanish centers accredited with the Severo Ochoa, María de Maeztu or Carlos III Health Research Institute distinctions of excellence.