Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme at IBEC

IBEC has also received the ‘Human Resources Excellence in Research’ seal from the European Commission, in recognition of its commitment to continuously improving its HR policies in line with The European Charter of Researchers and The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

IBEC aims to train the next generation of researchers in Bioengineering for Future Medicine, Regenerative Therapies and Active Ageing.

Thanks to IBEC’s interdisciplinarity, the most recent technical and technological approaches developed for research in biology and the biomedical sciences are available. Young researchers can acquire experience and practical training day-to-day in both the classical approaches and new methodologies in imaging techniques, nanomaterials technology, nanofabrication, biosensors, biosignal interpretation, lab-on-a-chip approaches, and many more.

Since 1982, «la Caixa” Banking Foundation has offered its fellowships programmes—through which more than 4,000 talented young people have received fellowships to take up postgraduate studies or begin their research careers in Spain and abroad. The «la Caixa” fellowship programmes enjoy great recognition thanks to their prestige, to the reliability and rigour of the selection processes, to the fellows’ excellent academic level and the impact that the fellowship has on their future academic or professional careers

IBEC Seminars and Annual Symposium

Our regular IBEC Seminars invite top names in bioengineering and nanomedicine from all over the world to help keep us up-to-date on the state-of-the-art of research in the field. IBEC seminars also offer the opportunity to network and discuss recent developments, fostering internal and external interaction and opening doors to future collaborations.

The institute also holds an annual symposium on bioengineering and nanomedicine, as well as hosting and organizing several project-based or general scientific meetings and workshops throughout the year.

Practical training

Thanks to IBEC’s interdisciplinarity, the most recent technical and technological approaches developed for research in biology and the biomedical sciences are available at the institute. Postdocs researchers can acquire experience and practical training in both the classical approaches and new methodologies in imaging techniques, nanomaterials technology, nanofabrication, biosensors, biosignal interpretation, lab-on-a-chip approaches, and many more.

IBEC Mentoring Programme

The IBEC Mentoring Programme is conceived as a career development tool for postdoctoral researchers at IBEC.

Each postdoctoral researcher (mentee) participating in the programme will be assigned a Mentor. Mentors will support postdoctoral researchers and will share their experiences as highly qualified scientists, as well as giving guidance and knowledge not only about IBEC but also about their particular scientific fields. The range of benefits for the mentees will range from sharing the mentors experiences and benefitting from his/her knowledge, to counselling to develop their qualification profile, establishing contacts, gaining access to the networks of mentors, or receiving feedback to facilitate self-assessment and to fully develop their career.

Complementary skills training

Besides the mandatory doctoral courses offered by the universities, IBEC offers several training courses specifically to early and senior postdocs, covering such topics as Scientific writing, Effective communication, Leadership, Guidance for women in their research, How to publish in high ranking journals, Presentation skills in English, Career development, Diversity and cross-cultural awareness in research, Entrepreneurship or Technology transfer.

All courses in complementary and transferrable skills are designed to enhance future employability and career progress.

Outreach activities

As part of its mission, IBEC aims to inform society about the research being carried by its scientists in bioengineering and nanomedicine, both to help citizens understand the importance of research and make informed decisions, and to encourage young people to consider scientific careers.

To do this, the institute organizes or takes part in a range of outreach activities throughout the year. IBEC’s Postdocs are required to volunteer for these activities, as they offer the perfect opportunity to gain experience in explaining your research in terms that a lay audience can understand, a skill that is essential for your career in areas such as achieving funding for projects.

IBEC’s outreach activities include group visits from schools, universities and other organizations, one-on-one mentoring, workshops for teachers, science fairs and festivals, talks in public spaces, Open Doors days, and many more.

Research Placements

As part of their training, young researchers are encouraged to take up research placements in other centres. Thanks to these stays, students benefit from intense transnational and multidisciplinary mobility, as well as the expertise and facilities of the best institutions worldwide. Such mobility provides them with multicultural skills, including languages, and proves highly beneficial in crossing cultural borders and enhancing their future employability in a globalised job market.

Placements take place in any of the many institutions with which our researchers collaborate, including but not restricted to centres linked to IBEC by strategic research agreements or funded exchange programmes such as Marie Curie or the Networks of Excellence. These stays have the added value of enabling researchers to obtain an international projection, which significantly improves their chances of a successful career.

Researchers of any nationality are eligible for the Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme. In order to get accepted, candidates must meet the following requirements:

Experience: They should have earned their doctoral degree two to seven years prior to the deadline of the call for applications. The date of the doctoral thesis defence will be understood as the date when the doctoral degree was obtained. In the cases of interruption of the research activity between the date of obtaining the doctoral degree and the call deadline, the candidate may request an extension of the period in which the doctoral degree must have been obtained.

Geographic mobility: For candidates applying to Spanish centres or units: Candidates must not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years immediately preceding the closing date of the call. Short stays, such as holidays, will not be taken into account.

For candidates applying to Portuguese units: Candidates must not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Portugal for more than twelve months in the three years immediately preceding the closing date of the call. Short stays, such as holidays, will not be taken into account.

Special mobility condition could apply for the in the cases of interruption of the research activity or researchers who have spent time in the procedure for obtaining the refugee status under the Geneva Convention.

Complete applications: Only candidates whose applications meet all the requirements of the call may be accepted.

Researchers of any nationality are eligible for the Postdoctoral Junior Leader – Retaining. The fellows may carry out their research project at any Spanish or Portuguese university or research centre.

In order to get accepted, candidates must meet the following requirements:

Experience: They should have earned their doctoral degree two to seven years prior to the deadline of the call for applications. The date of the doctoral thesis defence will be understood as the date when the doctoral degree was earned.
In the cases of interruption of the research activity between the date of obtaining the doctoral degree and the call deadline, the candidate may request an extension of the period in which the doctoral degree must have been obtained

Geographic mobility: For candidates applying to Spanish centers or universities: Candidates must have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the closing date of the call. Short stays, such as holidays, will not be taken into account.

For candidates applying to Portuguese universities or centers: Candidates must have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Portugal for more than twelve months in the three years immediately preceding the closing date of the call. Short stays, such as holidays, will not be taken into account.

Special mobility condition could apply for the in the cases of interruption of the research activity or researchers who have spent time in the procedure for obtaining the refugee status under the Geneva.

Complete applications: Only candidates whose applications meet all the requirements of the call may be accepted.

No project or supplementary documentation may be submitted after the deadlines established in the Application for Fellowship Rules.

7 July 2021. Starting date for the submission of applications.
7 October 2021. Deadline for applications.
26 January 2022. Announcement of shortlisted candidates.
From 7 to 9 March 2022. Selection interviews in Barcelona.
23 March 2022. Publication of results of the selection process.

No project or supplementary documentation may be submitted after the deadlines established in the Application for Fellowship Rules.

7 July 2021. Starting date for the submission of applications.
7 October 2021. Deadline for applications.
26 January 2022. Announcement of shortlisted candidates.
21 and 22 February 2022. Selection interviews in Barcelona.
23 March 2022. Publication of results of the selection process.