MERCI – Momentum for European Research Career at ICIQ (Ref. POSTDOC-MERCI-2026-01-04)

MERCI is a co-funded postdoctoral programme (Choose Europe; MSCA grant agreement 101313516) recruiting four highly talented and autonomous postdoctoral researchers to ICIQ, each in a five-year position mentored by an internationally renowned ICIQ group leader and designed to bring fellows to the R3 level needed to become group leaders. Fellows choose their mentor and propose their own research project within ICIQ’s three main research areas, aligned with the host group’s research lines, and follow a personalised career development plan with progress monitoring, intermediate and final evaluation by ICIQ’s Scientific Advisory Board, tailored training and optional interdisciplinary and intersectoral secondments with more than 20 interested research and industry partners.

Contract: full time, 36 months (Phase 1, average gross salary including allowances EUR 60,000/year, EU-funded) plus 24 months (Phase 2, EUR 50,000/year, ICIQ-funded), with family allowance where applicable, EUR 400/month for research expenses, support for a co-supervised PhD student, a EUR 1,800 welcome stipend and EUR 350/month for training, conferences and secondments.

Any nationality, subject to the mobility rule (no more than 12 months’ residence or main activity in Spain in the 36 months before the call deadline); doctoral degree held at the call deadline; between 2 and 10 years of postdoctoral experience; not permanently employed by ICIQ. One application per candidate with CV and research summary (max. 5 pages), research proposal (max. 6 pages), motivation letter, PhD certificate, proof of postdoctoral experience, ethics self-assessment, up to two preferred mentors, two references and a mobility-rule statement.