"La Caixa" Foundation is launching a postdoctoral fellowships program in which candidates will be able to conduct a research project at accredited centres with the Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu excellence award, Institutos de Investigación Sanitaria Carlos IIII and units evaluated as excellent by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia of Portugal.

Description of our Institute:

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA) is a center of the Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC). Its mission is to deepen the knowledge of the cosmos and to bring it closer to society by conducting cutting-edge astrophysical and space science research, promoting technological development through the construction of new instrumentation and disseminating our research among the scientific community and the general public through outreach activities. 

The IAA-CSIC was founded in 1975 with the intention of creating a center of excellence in research in Astrophysics, Space Sciences and associated technologies. Since then, the IAA has established itself as a center of national and international reference in Astrophysics research, being today one of the largest research centers of the CSIC with almost 200 members. In terms of scientific production, it is the second Spanish center in the area of Astrophysics and the seventh among CSIC centers in any of its research areas.

The IAA conducts research in each and every one of the main areas of modern astrophysics, from quantum gravity to the solar system, including the evolution of galaxies, cosmology, the components of our Galaxy and extrasolar planets. This research is based on the three fundamental pillars of modern astrophysics: the observation of astrophysical phenomena with the most sophisticated means, the development of new instrumentation and the theoretical study and development of numerical simulations.

This breadth of knowledge and techniques, the interconnection between them, makes the IAA stand out among national and international astrophysics research centers. Few centers cover so many fields of Astrophysics and Space Science and are involved in observations from Earth and from observatories and space missions in which it has made technological developments. Not surprisingly, the IAA leads major international Astrophysics research projects.

Moreover, the IAA-CSIC has been awarded the Severo Ochoa distinction which recognizes our leadership and research impact. Our main lines of research, as well as the associated faculty members, can be found at this link.

IAA is an equal opportunity institution. Applications to this program by female scientists are particularly encouraged.

Junior Leader Fellowships Programme Description:

The Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme is aimed at hiring excellent researchers, of any nationality, who wish to continue their research career in Spain or Portugal in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The objectives of this programme are to foster high-quality, innovative research in Spain and Portugal and to support the best scientific talent by providing them with an attractive, competitive environment in which to conduct excellent research.

The Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme is divided into two different frames, to conduct your research project at the Institute you must apply to the Incoming programme:

• Postdoctorate Junior Leader – Incoming: 25 postdoctoral fellowships for researchers of all nationalities. They will be offered a three-year employment contract to conduct a research project at accredited centres with the Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu excellence award, Institutos de Investigación Sanitaria Carlos IIII and units evaluated as excellent by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia of Portugal.
  For Spanish institutions, candidates must have resided in Spain less than 12 months in the last three years while for Portuguese institutions, candidates must have resided in Portugal less than 12 months in the last three years.

Requirements:

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.