The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, invites applications for ONE predoctoral research contract in Astrophysics within the project “Chronology of our Galaxy from Gaia color-magnitude diagram fitting (ChronoGal)”, funded by the European Union through an ERC Advanced Grant (Ref. HORIZON EUROPE ERC-2024-ADG, Grant Agreement No. 101201412) and led by Professor Carme Gallart.
The proposed doctoral project focuses on the stellar populations of the Milky Way bulge by reconstructing the star formation history in different fields within this Galactic component, using state-of-the-art data from Rubin/LSST or the Roman Space Telescope. A substantial part of the project will involve deriving photometry from images currently being acquired, and yet to be acquired, by these two surveys. Strong programming skills and the ability to develop automated data-analysis pipelines are highly desirable.
The successful applicant will be based at the IAC headquarters in La Laguna, Tenerife, in a stimulating research environment, where s/he will undertake research on a specific and innovative project leading to the award of a doctoral degree. S/he will join the “Galaxy Evolution in the Local Group” research group, an expanding, dynamic, enthusiastic and collaborative team focused on Galactic archaeology and near-field cosmology, from both observational (e.g. Gaia, WEAVE, 4MOST and LSST) and theoretical perspectives, in collaboration with the “Numerical Astrophysics” research group.
Research at the IAC spans most areas of astrophysics, including solar physics, planetary systems, stellar and interstellar physics, galaxy formation and evolution, the Milky Way, cosmology and astroparticle physics. These research activities are supported by an ambitious instrumentation programme. Further information about the IAC’s research programme, its observatories and the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is available on the IAC website (https://www.iac.es/).
Qualifications: Applicants must hold a university degree in Physics or Mathematics.
The qualification must provide access to the PhD Programme at the University of La Laguna (ULL), and applicants must meet the requirements for admission or enrolment in that programme. The admission requirements for ULL doctoral programmes are set out on the University’s website. By way of guidance, these requirements are met, among others, by applicants holding a university master’s degree and by those who, without such a degree, hold an undergraduate degree and have completed a total of 300 ECTS credits, at least 60 of which must correspond to master’s-level study. Other routes of entry to the ULL PhD Programme are described on its website (https://www.ull.es).
This requirement must be met at the time the application is submitted.
IMPORTANT: Academic documentation and equivalence of grades and credits
Applicants must provide academic transcripts for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or equivalent qualifications, submitted for assessment, showing the subjects studied, grades awarded and associated credits.
For each academic transcript relating to studies undertaken at an institution outside Spain, applicants must attach the corresponding Declaration of Equivalence of Average Grade (Declaración de Equivalencia de Nota Media, DENM), generated using the official application of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and signed by the applicant. This requirement applies regardless of the grading scale used by the foreign institution, including where that scale runs from 0 to 10.
The declaration must be completed in accordance with the Ministry’s instructions and using the grading scale applicable to the transcript. Grades must be converted subject by subject, after which the equivalent average grade must be calculated using the appropriate weighting. Direct conversion of the original average grade, or submission of a conversion prepared outside the Ministry’s procedure, will not be sufficient.
– Access to the application: https://sede.educacion.gob.es/sede/login/inicio.jjsp?idConvocatoria=818
– Ministry information and instructions: https://www.ciencia.gob.es/Universidades/NotaMedia.html
– Access and registration instructions: Annex II of the Ministry’s guide, pages 9–13.
The procedure is free of charge and requires prior registration. Applicants from outside Spain who have neither a Spanish national identity document (DNI) nor a foreign national identity number (NIE) may register using their passport number by selecting “Otro” (Other) in the “Tipo documento” (Document type) field, and then sign in using a username and password, without needing Cl@ve or a Spanish electronic certificate.
Where credits are not expressed in ECTS, applicants must provide their ECTS equivalence, supported by documentation from the awarding university or a competent authority. Where no established equivalence exists, evidence must be provided of the credits completed, the definition of the credit unit used and the prescribed full-time duration of the programme, together with its total workload where available. The IAC will determine equivalence for assessment purposes in accordance with the criteria published in this call. Unsupported estimates will not be accepted. The DENM does not replace this documentation concerning credits.
Academic transcripts issued in a language other than Spanish or English must be accompanied by a translation into one of these two languages, without prejudice to any specific translation requirements established for the Ministry’s procedure.
For qualifications awarded outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the degree certificate must be accompanied by a non-certified translation into Spanish or English, together with the corresponding certificate of equivalence or formal recognition (homologación). Evidence that the relevant recognition or equivalence procedure has been initiated may be submitted; a decision by the competent authority rejecting the application will constitute grounds for termination of the contract.
The grade obtained in the relevant qualification must be at least 7.0 (on a scale of 0 to 10) for applicants presenting a licenciatura degree, and at least 7.5 (on a scale of 0 to 10) for the master’s degree for applicants presenting both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.
The studies qualifying the applicant for admission to the PhD Programme must have been completed on or after 31 January 2023.
Contract duration: The predoctoral contract will be for UP TO FOUR YEARS (with an end date NO LATER THAN 31 December 2030), subject to annual assessment and a favourable report from the Head of the IAC Graduate Studies Division, advised by the Institute’s Graduate Studies Committee, for as long as the appointee remains enrolled in the programme. Under no circumstances may the total duration of the contract exceed four years.
If the contracted researcher successfully defends their doctoral thesis before the contract expires, they will enter a Postdoctoral Orientation Period (POP) of up to twelve months. Its purpose is to enable the newly qualified PhD holder to consolidate and further develop the knowledge acquired during his/her doctoral research within the specific research project on which their thesis was based.
In all cases, the total contract duration may not exceed the four years specified above.
The successful applicant will take up the post on a date to be determined, no earlier than 1 January 2027.
Remuneration:
• Predoctoral contract, excluding the Postdoctoral Orientation Period (up to a maximum of four years):
• First and second years: €21,728.76.
• Third year: €22,918.06.
• Fourth year (without POP): €27,979.48.
• Postdoctoral Orientation Period (up to 12 months): €29,684.12.
Relocation allowance: This call includes the possibility of a relocation allowance for the person proposed for appointment. Up to €2,500 may be awarded to cover actual, necessary and duly documented expenses associated with taking up the post at any IAC workplace. Eligible expenses must fall within the categories below and must have been incurred during the 14 days immediately preceding the contract start date:
(1) Air or ferry travel from the applicant’s place of residence to Tenerife, at the lowest available fare. The fare includes one cabin bag (56 × 40 × 25 cm, maximum 10 kg) as hand luggage and one item of checked baggage (maximum combined dimensions of 158 cm and maximum weight of 23 kg).
(2) Accommodation costs for UP TO 13 nights.
(3) Subsistence expenses of UP TO €37.40 per day for 14 days.
No other expenses (taxi, train, bus, etc.) will be reimbursed. This allowance is treated as monetary remuneration, and the applicable personal income tax withholding (Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas, IRPF) will be deducted from the substantiated amount.
Successful applicants who have previously received this allowance will not be eligible to receive it again if fewer than 12 months have elapsed since their most recent IAC contract ended. Nor will applicants be eligible if, at the time of application, they reside on the island where the IAC workplace for their new post is located (Tenerife or La Palma).
Applicants from outside the EU: Nationals of countries outside the European Union may apply for this position. However, if selected, s/he will not be able to sign the contract with the IAC until s/he has obtained the official documentation required to reside and work in Spain (NIE card). Applicants should contact the Spanish consulate in their country to obtain the necessary visa.
How to apply: Applications must be submitted electronically through the IAC Electronic Office at https://iac.sede.gob.es/procedimiento/portada?idProc=100500. On that page, select “Acceder al Procedimiento” (Access the procedure), followed by “Acceder con Usuario” (Sign in with username) for applicants from abroad or without a digital certificate, or “Acceso con clave” (Cl@ve access) for Spanish applicants with a digital certificate.
Once in the application system, select selection process code PS-2026-084. After completing all the fields, applicants must undertake the following steps:
1. Upload the following personal documentation required under the terms of the call, in PDF format:
a) A completed and signed application form (Annex IV) explicitly identifying the call for which the applicant is applying (MANDATORY DOCUMENT; OMISSIONS CANNOT BE RECTIFIED).
b) A copy of the DNI, NIE or passport.
c) A cover letter explaining the motivation for applying, no longer than one page, in a font size of at least 12 points.
d) A copy of the required degree certificate or evidence of payment of the fee for its issue.
e) An academic transcript for the qualification(s) providing access to the ULL PhD Programme in Astrophysics, containing at least:
• The stamp of the issuing office.
• The date on which the studies were completed.
• The subjects/modules comprising the full programme of study for the qualification(s) stated.
• The grades awarded and the dates on which they were obtained.
The certificate may be replaced by a complete copy of the academic record. In that case, successful applicants must provide the original official certificate together with the other documentation, as provided for in Section Seven of the call.
IMPORTANT: Academic documentation and equivalence of grades and credits
Applicants must provide academic transcripts for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or equivalent qualifications, submitted for assessment, showing the subjects studied, grades awarded and associated credits.
For each academic transcript relating to studies undertaken at an institution outside Spain, applicants must attach the corresponding Declaration of Equivalence of Average Grade (Declaración de Equivalencia de Nota Media, DENM), generated using the official application of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and signed by the applicant. This requirement applies regardless of the grading scale used by the foreign institution, including where that scale runs from 0 to 10.
The declaration must be completed in accordance with the Ministry’s instructions and using the grading scale applicable to the transcript. Grades must be converted subject by subject, after which the equivalent average grade must be calculated using the appropriate weighting. Direct conversion of the original average grade, or submission of a conversion prepared outside the Ministry’s procedure, will not be sufficient.
– Access to the application: https://sede.educacion.gob.es/sede/login/inicio.jjsp?idConvocatoria=818
– Ministry information and instructions: https://www.ciencia.gob.es/Universidades/NotaMedia.html
– Access and registration instructions: Annex II of the Ministry’s guide, pages 9–13.
The procedure is free of charge and requires prior registration. Applicants from outside Spain who have neither a Spanish national identity document (DNI) nor a foreign national identity number (NIE) may register using their passport number by selecting “Otro” (Other) in the “Tipo documento” (Document type) field, and then sign in using a username and password, without needing Cl@ve or a Spanish electronic certificate.
Where credits are not expressed in ECTS, applicants must provide their ECTS equivalence, supported by documentation from the awarding university or a competent authority. Where no established equivalence exists, evidence must be provided of the credits completed, the definition of the credit unit used and the prescribed full-time duration of the programme, together with its total workload where available. The IAC will determine equivalence for assessment purposes in accordance with the criteria published in this call. Unsupported estimates will not be accepted. The DENM does not replace this documentation concerning credits.
Academic transcripts issued in a language other than Spanish or English must be accompanied by a translation into one of these two languages, without prejudice to any specific translation requirements established for the Ministry’s procedure.
Where this call requires formal recognition (homologación) or a declaration of equivalence for a foreign qualification, applicants may initially provide evidence that they have requested the relevant recognition at
https://universidades.sede.gob.es/procedimientos/portada/ida/3513/idp/1030.
In that case, appointment will be conditional upon obtaining recognition, and any refusal will have the consequences prescribed by the applicable legislation and the terms of the contract.
f) A curriculum vitae listing previous grants and contracts, research results and recognised achievements.
g) A copy of a certificate attesting to level B1 or equivalent in English (or Spanish for native English speakers), in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), or a copy of the official record confirming that the applicant has passed the ULL English-language proficiency tests for admission to postgraduate and doctoral study.
h) Documentary evidence of the achievements the applicant wishes to have assessed in the selection process, as specified in Annex I. Any contract, grant, course, seminar, conference or other achievement claimed must be supported by documentation to enable the selection panel to assess it. Otherwise, it will not be considered.
i) A signed declaration that the studies recorded in the academic transcript submitted are those providing access to the doctoral programme or, where applicable, those completed by the time of application, using the form in Annex V.
j) A declaration that the applicant has not previously held a contract of this type at the IAC or any other body or institution, using the form in Annex VI.
k) Persons covered by Section 2.1.1(a) and foreign nationals resident in Spain covered by Section 2.1.1(b) are exempt from providing proof of nationality, provided that they authorise verification of their personal identification details through the Identity Data Verification System in their application. All other applicants must attach documentation substantiating the circumstances they declare.
l) Evidence of disability, where applicable.
m) Evidence of responsibility for the care of children under six years of age (Section 2.3.2(b)).
n) In the online application form, applicants must provide the names of up to three referees from teaching or research backgrounds who can provide references.
2. Complete the online application in full, including the contact details of individuals who can provide letters of reference.
Once the electronic application has been submitted, there is NO need to submit a paper copy.
Failure to apply within the prescribed deadline and in the required form will result in the applicant’s exclusion.
For further information, please contact the Secretariat of the IAC Graduate Studies Division (secens at iac.es). For enquiries about the scientific aspects of this position, please contact the project’s Principal Investigator, Professor Carme Gallart (carme.gallart at iac.es).
