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What do you need to know?
Grant for public and private universities of the Catalan university system, research centres, hospital foundations and Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS) to hire research staff in training
Contact: predocs.agaur@gencat.cat
Regulation (English version): Terms and conditions
Authority responsible
Other related authorities
Students who want to earn their PhD from a Catalan University
Application submission period: from October 9th to October 31st at 2:00 PM (local time in Barcelona)
Documentation that you must attach to your application in PDF format:
a) An annexed document that includes a short CV; a technical report with a summary of the education, training, and research activities expected to be achieved during the three years of the scholarship; the expected scientific objectives and results; the expected applicability and knowledge transfer and the possible social, economic, and scientific impact of the research to be carried out. Also, it must include its alignment with the areas and thematic areas of intervention defined by the European Union. We accept documents written in Catalan, Spanish, or English. You can find the template on "Related Documentation".
b) Research project, contract or research agreement. It must certify that your thesis supervisor is the principal investigator or a member of the project. If this documentation is public, the link or links to the corresponding website may be included in this document.
c) Academic record: You must submit the academic transcripts of your qualifications (undergraduate AND postgraduate studies), with the date of obtaining the degree and its average grade
d) If applicable, you must submit a declaration of equivalences of the average grade:
If you have completed your studies abroad, the statements of equivalence of the average grades must also be submitted. These are to be calculated by the provisions of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Link: https://universidades.sede.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/Equivalencia_notas_medias/language/ca_ES
If the academic transcript does not include a description of the university's grading system, documentation that verifies this system must be attached, indicating the maximum and minimum grades, as well as the minimum passing grade.
Candidates are only required to complete and submit these grade equivalence declarations without the need to verify their content.
e) In the case of not having completed any studies within the European Higher Education Area, admission or enrollment in a doctoral program within the university system of Catalonia must be provided.
f) If applicable, a copy of the supporting documentation concerning the exceptional situations provided for in the grant rules.
g) Before applying, you must check if your university or research centre requires any specific documentation.
Documents
You must meet the following requirements:
a) Meet one of the following conditions:
- Have completed undergraduate studies within the European Higher Education Area.
- Have completed or be currently undertaking a master's degree within the European Higher Education Area.
- Be admitted to or enrolled in a doctoral program within the university system of Catalonia.
b) You have completed the studies for admission to a Ph.D. program between the 1st of January 2022 and the start date of the contract.
People who completed their studies leading to the doctorate between 1 January 2019 and the start date of the contract may also participate in the call if, after completing them, they have found themselves in one of the following exceptional situations:
- They have taken maternity leave.
- They have been in charge of children under the age of six.
- They have been in charge of people with a legally recognized physical, mental or sensory disability.
- They have suffered any serious illness or accident that requires major surgery or treatment in a hospital and that causes temporary disability for a continuous period of at least 6 months.
- They have suffered any of the situations provided for in article 1 of Organic Law 1/2004, of 28 December, on comprehensive protection measures against gender-based violence
- They have recognised refugee status under the 1951 Geneva Convention
c) At the time of joining the host institution and commencing the contract that is the subject of the grant, candidates must hold a bachelor's degree, engineering degree, architecture degree, a university degree with at least 300 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), a university master's degree, or an equivalent qualification. If the studies leading to the doctorate are a bachelor’s degree, they must be completed at the time of application submission and with the required minimum grade.
d) At the time of joining the host institution, they must be admitted to or enrolled in a doctoral program at a university within the Catalan university system for the academic year established by the corresponding call.
e) At the time of applying, candidates may not have received in previous calls any aid for the recruitment of predoctoral research personnel in training (FI) or any grant for the recruitment of predoctoral research staff in training in the departments of universities of the university system of Catalonia (FI SDUR). Nor can they have enjoyed more than 6 months of any other specific contract for predoctoral research personnel in training.
f) Not having a doctoral degree
g) Have a minimum average grade of the academic record for undergraduate studies or of the equivalent degree equal to or greater than 6.50 (scale from 0 to 10).
- In the case of studies completed abroad, the average grade of the academic record will be calculated by the provisions of the current resolutions of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of equivalences of average marks < https://universidades.sede.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/Equivalencia_notas_medias/language/ca_ES
h) Each candidate can only submit one application.
Requirements for thesis supervisors:
a) Have a statutory or employment relationship with the entity awarding the grant. This link must sufficiently guarantee the supervision and monitoring of the candidate's doctoral thesis.
Part-time staff, staff on leave, visiting professors and emeritus professors do not meet this requirement.
b) Be part of a research group recognized within the framework of the call for grants to support the scientific activity of research groups in Catalonia (SGR-Cat 2021).
c) Be principal investigators or members of the research project, research contract, or transfer agreement. In the case of research or knowledge transfer agreements or contracts, they must have a minimum value of 24,000.00 (twenty-four thousand) euros.
Projects with a provisional favorable resolution will be considered granted, provided that it is confirmed with a final resolution.Competitive research projects are not considered to be grants to support research groups recognised by the Government of Catalonia (SGR) or grants aimed at incorporating research staff.
d) Each thesis supervisor can only appear in one application
There are not taxes associated with this procedure.
Steps to follow
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Step one
Application form
Applications must be submitted online, and you must attach all the required documents. Universities and research centers must have previously signed the relevant agreement [...]
Deadlines
From 10/09/2024 to 10/31/2024Applications must be submitted online, and you must attach all the required documents. Universities and research centers must have previously signed the relevant agreement with the AGAUR, which can be found on AGAUR’s website.
The provisional application must be submitted online by the individual candidate for the predoctoral contract electronically through the FI 2025 Application Form, following the instructions provided. Each candidate is allowed to submit only one application.
Questions of relevance to researchers or candidates here
This procedure must only be done online.
Submission of provisional applications: idCATMòbil or digital certificate are not needed.
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Step two
Confirmation or rejection by entities
Upon expiration of the submission deadline for provisional applications, a new period shall commence for grant applicant institutions to access the AGAUR grant management application (BOGA) to [...]
Upon expiration of the submission deadline for provisional applications, a new period shall commence for grant applicant institutions to access the AGAUR grant management application (BOGA) to confirm or reject candidate’s applications.
To apply, the legal representative must sign the confirmation document created by BOGA and send it into the AGAUR using the EACAT platform or another valid e-register.
Questions of relevance to organisations here
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Step three
Receiving notice from the Administration
When is the notice from the Administration received?
When is the notice from the Administration received?
The màximum legal period for reaching a decision is six months as of the day following the date of the publication of this call for applications in the DOGC. If no express decision has been issued after this period has elapsed, the grant applied for will be understood as rejected due to administrative silence.
What is the notice received?
The resolution shall be notified on the Government of Catalonia e-noticeboard. To ensure wider dissemination, for information purpose, the content of this proceeding will be available on the web sites of the AGAUR.
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Step four
Grant’s acceptance
Newly awarded grants must be formally accepted using a standard model signed by the beneficiary entities’ legal representatives as well as the PhD candidate.
Newly awarded grants must be formally accepted using a standard model signed by the beneficiary entities’ legal representatives as well as the PhD candidate.
The acceptance document must be submitted in a maximum period of 2 months from the day following the first day of the candidat's contract.
Together with the document of acceptance, you must submit the documentation provided in the general terms and conditions.
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Step five
Recruitment
The deadline for starting a contract is 1 July 2025
The deadline for starting a contract is 1 July 2025
Non-EU individuals can start their contract until 1 October 2025 for reasons related to the processing of their employment contracts. This extension can only be granted if they meet the requirements outlined in the regulatory bases and the call for applications by 1 July 2025, and have started the corresponding contracting procedures.
Contracts must always begin the first day of the month.
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Step six
Renew the grant
Entities must submit applications and renewal proposals for all grants.
Entities must submit applications and renewal proposals for all grants.
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Step seven
Grant's justification
The deadline for entities to justify a grant is two months after the end of the contract. They must attach the following documents:a) A technical report signed by the hired researcher and the thesis [...]
The deadline for entities to justify a grant is two months after the end of the contract. They must attach the following documents:
a) A technical report signed by the hired researcher and the thesis supervisor
b) A financial report justifying the cost of the contracts based on the results obtainedIn addition, entities and researchers can be part of two verification processes: administrative and on-site verification. AGAUR will use sampling techniques to execute both verification processes.
Related procedures
This programme is financed by European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
