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Practical Info

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must fulfil these criteria to be considered eligible for a position at DocFam+. This doctoral programme is open to researchers of any age, nationality and gender.

DC criteria
Researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not have a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet been formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Recruited researchers will be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
Mobility Rule

Candidates may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline. Time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention, compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Previous Education
Candidates must hold a degree with a minimum of 300 ETC credits in university studies of which at least 60 must be at the Master's level, 
OR 
Candidates must hold a qualification obtained under foreign educational systems without the need for official recognition, having previously confirmed with the university that this qualification accredits a level of training equivalent to the official Spanish university Master's degree and that it would serve as a means of access to a PhD in the country in which it was awarded.
Level of English

Proof of upper intermediate level must be included in the application; this should take the form of one of the officially recognized international qualifications (minimum B2, Cambridge English First (FCE), PTE Level 3, IELTS or TOEFL > 72). Applicants from native English speaking countries can apply without the need for proof of level. An official degree conducted in English as the only language will be also accepted as proof of level.

How to apply

Read the Guide for Applicants, included in the Application Pack, and the FAQs before starting your application. 

  • 1 Register on the Online Platform

    Register as a user on the Online Platform. 
    A username, password and valid email address must be provided.
    After the successful registration, the applicant will receive an email with an activation link.

  • 2 Access your Personal Area

    Use your username and password to access your Personal Area.
    Click on Apply Now, on the Home tab, to fill out the Application Form.

  • 3 Fill out the application form

    The Application From consists of 7 different tabs where you will be able to include all the required information and documents.

    Note that, if the documents uploaded to the Application Form were issued in a language other than English, a translation into English, which can be done by the candidate, must be included.

  • 4 Submit your application

    Once you have filled out the application, click on SUBMIT at the bottom of the Status tab.
    Please remember that once submitted, you cannot edit your application.
    Upon submission, a notification will appear on the screen. Also, you will receive an acknowledgement email.

Evaluation & Selection

The Evaluation and Selection Process consists of 4 phases:

1 Eligibility Check

Applications submitted after the deadline and those not including all the required documentation will be considered ineligible.
Then, each application will be carefully checked against the Eligibility Criteria.
Only those applications passing the different eligibility checks will go through the next phase.

2 Evaluation of Merit

The Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) will evaluate each eligible application through a peer-review system carried out by panels of independent experts.
The scientific merit of the candidate is the only criterion for evaluation.
You can find further information on the external evaluation in the document Guide for Evaluators, included in the Application Package.

3 Interviews
The 26 short-listed candidates will be invited to a remote 20’ interview. The interview will consist of a candidate's presentation and an interactive Q&A session.
Afterwards, the Management Team will write an individual report.
4 Final Scoring & Ranking

The Management Team will compose the final ranking using the scorings from the Evaluation of Merits (60%) and the Interview (40%). 
An Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) will be sent to all eligible applicants.
Once the list is generated, the candidates will make their final selection by ranking position.
If a candidate selects a project already taken by another candidate higher in the ranking, they will have to change their selection until all the fellowships are covered.

Funding conditions

DocFam+ doctoral programme offers competitive employment conditions for the recruited researchers, fulfilling the principles set in the Charter & Code. Selected fellows will receive a generous salary including living and mobility allowances. In addition, DocFam+ will cover tuition fees for PhD studies during the 3 years of the contract. Research, training & networking costs will also be covered.

*TOTAL gross salary: 33,600€/year

Living allowance: 28,800€/year
Mobility allowance: 4,800€/year

*The total salary includes the employer's social security contributions (around 20-25%) and employee social contributions.

NET SALARY results from deducting all compulsory social security contributions and taxes from the total allowance. Social security coverage for the contracted fellows in Spain includes health care, occupational health, disablement, parental and sick leave, and unemployment benefits.

Timeline