Alternatives to INPhINIT: Other “la Caixa” Fellowships and Beyond
If INPhINIT does not fit your stage, nationality or field, the Foundation’s postgraduate and postdoctoral calls — or a European programme — might.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
INPhINIT is narrow by design: a first PhD, started in a fixed autumn window, in Spain or Portugal. If you miss a rule or a deadline, the Foundation’s other programmes — and a few outside it — may fit. Remember that the rules bar anyone who has already held a “la Caixa” Postgraduate or Doctoral INPhINIT fellowship from INPhINIT, and you can apply to only one “la Caixa” programme per call.
“la Caixa” Postgraduate fellowships abroad
Official →The reverse direction: Spanish and Portuguese students going out. From the 2026 call page:
- 100 fellowships for a master’s, doctorate or pre-doctoral research stay, up to 24 months.
- Destinations: the European Higher Education Area, the United States or Canada, and Australia, South Korea, India, Japan, Singapore and China.
- All fields except MBA programmes. Studies must start with the fellowship.
- Only for Spanish or Portuguese nationals whose undergraduate degree was completed in Spain or Portugal (for the 2026 call, between January 2017 and July 2026).
- The 2026 call closed on 19 January 2026; interviews ran in May and results came on 21 May 2026.
Same three-stage selection as INPhINIT, with the same 50/30/20 shortlisting weights. The 2027 call has not been published yet.
“la Caixa” Junior Leader postdoctoral fellowships
Official →The postdoctoral follow-on to INPhINIT, in the same two flavours. From the 2027 Incoming and Retaining call pages:
| Junior Leader Incoming | Junior Leader Retaining | |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowships | 20 | 20 |
| Fields | STEM | STEM |
| Where | Accredited centres of excellence (same four lists as INPhINIT Incoming) | Any university or research centre in Spain or Portugal |
| Experience | PhD awarded 2 to 7 years before the deadline (special rules for interrupted careers) | |
| Residence | No more than 12 months in the destination country in the last 3 years | More than 12 months there, plus at least 6 months of research stays abroad |
| Funding | Up to €320,100 over a maximum of 3 years | |
| 2027 call | Closed 23 Sep 2026; pre-selection 12 Jan 2027; results 10 Mar 2027 | |
If you are finishing a PhD now, put the next Junior Leader call — expected to close in September 2027 — in your calendar.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks
EU-funded PhD positions across Europe, including many in Spain and Portugal, with their own mobility rule and a salary set by the EU. You apply to a specific advertised project rather than proposing your own. See our MSCA guide.
Erasmus Mundus for a master’s first
If you lack the degree that gives PhD access, a fully funded joint master’s across two or more European countries is the usual stepping stone. Some Erasmus Mundus programmes include Spanish or Portuguese universities. See the Erasmus Mundus guide.
A PhD in Germany instead
If your field or residence history rules out both INPhINIT calls, Germany’s DAAD research grants fund doctoral study for international applicants on a different timetable. See the DAAD guide.
Positions funded by the centre itself
Many Spanish and Portuguese research centres also recruit PhD students on their own grants and national programmes throughout the year. These are advertised on each centre’s careers page. The host centres page links the official lists of accredited centres, which are a good place to start looking.
Which to choose
INPhINIT Incoming or Retaining.
Postgraduate fellowships abroad.
Junior Leader Incoming or Retaining.
MSCA Doctoral Networks.