“la Caixa” INPhINIT 2027: A Funded PhD in Spain or Portugal, Two Ways In
Sixty four-year doctoral fellowships a year — 30 Incoming for STEM researchers new to Spain or Portugal, 30 Retaining for those already there. The 2026 calls are closed; the 2027 call has not been published yet.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
4 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
“la Caixa” Foundation’s Doctoral INPhINIT programme pays for a four-year PhD in Spain or Portugal as a proper job: the host signs an employment contract with you (in Portugal, an employment or fellowship contract), funded at €35,800 a year in labour costs, plus €3,500 a year for research and your doctoral tuition fees. There are 60 fellowships a year, split into two calls with opposite residence rules. Figures here come from the official Doctoral INPhINIT pages and the 2026 rules for participation.
One programme, two doors
INPhINIT is not a university admission round. You apply to the Foundation first, naming the PhD you intend to do. If you win, the Foundation signs an agreement with your chosen host, and the host hires you with the Foundation’s money. You still have to be admitted to an official doctoral programme before you start — but you do not need that admission, or a supervisor’s endorsement, to apply.
The two doors are Incoming and Retaining. Which one you can use depends on where you have lived for the last three years, not on your passport. Both are open to every nationality.
| Incoming | Retaining | |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowships | 30 | 30 |
| Fields | STEM only: technology, engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, life and health sciences | All disciplines, including humanities and social sciences |
| Where | Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu centres/units, Carlos III health research institutes, or Portuguese units rated “excellent” by FCT | Any university or research centre in Spain or Portugal |
| Residence rule | No more than 12 months in the destination country in the last 3 years | More than 12 months in the destination country in the last 3 years |
| Extra rule | — | PhD at a different university from your bachelor’s |
| 2026 deadline | 28 January 2026 (closed) | 18 February 2026 (closed) |
Sources: Incoming call page and Retaining call page, checked 6 October 2026.
What the fellowship pays
Benefits →The money goes to the host institution, not to you. It covers three cost blocks, and the Foundation separately pays for a training programme, as set out in section 2 of the 2026 Incoming rules:
€35,800 a year. Covers your gross salary and the employer’s social security. The host must offer a minimum gross salary of €25,000 a year.
€3,500 a year for conferences, courses, research stays, consumables, equipment and IP charges, managed by the host.
The fees of the official doctoral programme you are admitted to.
Three residential sessions of 3–5 days on transferable skills. Attendance is mandatory; the Foundation pays travel and accommodation.
Where the calendar stands
Deadlines →On 6 October 2026 the official pages still show the 2026 calls as closed. No 2027 rules or dates have been published yet. The 2026 cycle ran like this:
| Stage | Incoming 2026 | Retaining 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline (2 pm, mainland Spain) | 28 Jan 2026 | 18 Feb 2026 |
| Shortlist and interview invitations | 27 Apr 2026 | 20 May 2026 |
| Remote interviews | 20–22 May 2026 | 11–12 Jun 2026 |
| Final result | 29 May 2026 | 23 Jun 2026 |
| Fellowship starts | September–November 2026 (justified delays to 31 Jan 2027) | |
If 2027 follows the same pattern, expect the Incoming deadline around late January 2027 and Retaining in February 2027. Treat that as an estimate until the Foundation publishes the 2027 rules.
How competitive it is
The Foundation publishes a results sheet for each call. For Retaining 2026, the official results PDF reports 943 applications, 826 eligible, 90 shortlisted and 30 fellows — a success rate of 3.63%. The average awardee was 25.1 years old. For Incoming 2026, the official results PDF reports 670 applications, 561 eligible, 92 shortlisted and 30 fellows — a success rate of 5.35%, with an average awardee age of 26.3.
Selection does not use quotas. The official FAQ says shortlisting and interviews are governed only by academic excellence.
Where to go next
Residence clock, four-year research limit, English exemptions.
Which Severo Ochoa, María de Maeztu, Carlos III and FCT units count.
The online form, three reference letters and a tracker.
Worth 30% at both evaluation stages.
Twenty minutes, remote, in English, scored on potential.
Postgraduate fellowships abroad, Junior Leader postdocs, MSCA.
Start on the official site
This is an independent handbook. The Foundation’s INPhINIT overview, the official FAQ and each call’s rules PDF are the source of truth. On the application website you can click “Receive a notification” to be emailed when the next call opens. Questions go to fellowships@contact.fundaciolacaixa.org.