Most fully funded PhD offers in Europe come attached to a single lab or a single university. The INPhINIT Doctoral Fellowships work differently. They are run by the Spanish "la Caixa" Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in Europe, and they pay for early-stage researchers of any nationality to do a PhD in a STEM discipline at accredited research centres of excellence in Spain. Under some calls, a smaller number of partner centres in Portugal are also eligible.
For a Pakistani graduate in physics, mathematics, engineering, computer science or the life sciences, this is one of the few doctoral programmes where your passport is not the question. Your career stage, your mobility history and the quality of your research proposal are. You can read the full scholarship details on our scholarship page before going through this guide.
The short version of INPhINIT
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | "la Caixa" Foundation |
| Funding | Fully funded, three-year doctoral employment contract |
| Level | PhD |
| Fields | STEM: sciences, engineering, health sciences, mathematics, computer science |
| Country | Spain (some calls include partner centres in Portugal) |
| Nationality | Any nationality, no country quota |
| Deadline | Late January each year (the 2026 Incoming call closed on 28 January 2026 at 2:00 PM Peninsular Spain time) |
| Official site | lacaixafoundation.org |
Incoming or Retaining: pick the right door first
INPhINIT runs two parallel calls in each cycle, and applying to the wrong one is an easy way to waste months of work.
The Incoming call is for researchers who have spent limited or no time in Spain or Portugal recently and want to move there for their PhD. The hard rule here is mobility: you must not have resided or worked in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline. Most Pakistani applicants applying from home will fall into this call.
The Retaining call is for strong candidates who are already based at a Spanish or Portuguese host institution. If you did a master's in Barcelona or Madrid, or you are already working in a Spanish lab, the Incoming call may be closed to you and Retaining is probably where you belong. Count your months in Spain or Portugal honestly before deciding.
Both calls fund three-year doctoral contracts at host institutions holding Spain's "Severo Ochoa" or "María de Maeztu" excellence accreditation, or equivalent recognised centres. That narrows the list of places you can go, which is a good thing: it tells you exactly where to look for a supervisor.
A salaried contract, not a bare stipend
This is the part many applicants underestimate. An INPhINIT fellow is an employee of the host institution, on a three-year employment contract with full social security coverage. That matters for practical things like health coverage and the way your residence status is handled, and it puts you on a different footing from students living on a monthly allowance.
According to the programme information, the package includes:
- A three-year fully funded doctoral employment contract
- Full social security coverage during the fellowship
- A dedicated research and training budget for conferences, courses and materials
- A mobility or relocation allowance for Incoming-call fellows moving to Spain or Portugal
- Structured training in transferable and research skills alongside the PhD itself
The exact salary, budget and allowance figures are set in each year's call rules, so check the current amounts on the official INPhINIT page rather than relying on figures from forums or older cycles.
One more point for Pakistani applicants: the language requirement is English, not Spanish or Portuguese. Research and supervision at the host centres is typically conducted in English. Learning some Spanish will make daily life easier, but it is not what the panel is checking.
The eligibility rules that actually knock people out
Nationality is not a barrier. The programme is explicitly open to researchers of any nationality, so Pakistani citizens can apply. The rules that disqualify people are about timing and career stage:
- You must have completed the degree required to enrol in an official PhD programme in Spain or Portugal by the time of recruitment.
- You must not have started doctoral studies at the time of application.
- You must have no more than four years of research activity completed before the call deadline.
- For the Incoming call, you must not have resided or worked in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline.
- You need English proficiency at the level the call requires, certified where required.
The "not yet started doctoral studies" rule catches a lot of Pakistani candidates. If you are already enrolled in a PhD at a Pakistani university, even in the early coursework phase, read the call rules carefully, because the programme is designed for people who have not begun a doctorate.
The four-year research activity cap is the other trap. Research assistant posts, lecturer roles with research duties and long project contracts can add up. Work out your own count before the deadline, and if your situation is borderline, check how the current call defines research activity.
On the degree requirement, note the wording: you must hold the degree needed to enrol in a PhD in Spain or Portugal "by the time of recruitment", not necessarily on the day you apply. Whether your Pakistani bachelor's or master's meets that standard is something to confirm with your prospective host centre early.
Your supervisor is half the application
INPhINIT is a competition assessed by an international panel, not a country-quota scheme. Candidates are judged mainly on research potential, academic record and the strength of a doctoral project proposed jointly with a host supervisor. That last part is what separates this fellowship from many others.
You cannot write the proposal alone and send it off. You need to find a supervisor at an eligible host centre, agree on a project and develop the proposal together before you submit. The centres are concentrated in places like Barcelona, Madrid and the Basque Country, so start by listing accredited centres in your field and reading recent papers from groups that interest you.
When you email a potential supervisor, be specific. Mention a paper of theirs you have read, explain what you would bring to the group and say plainly that you plan to apply for INPhINIT. Supervisors at these centres receive many generic emails. A short, informed message stands out.
Paperwork to prepare
The documents list is short, but two items take real time:
- The online INPhINIT application form
- Your CV and academic transcripts
- A research proposal developed with your prospective host supervisor
- Letters of reference
- Proof of English proficiency (the accepted certificate types are specified in the call rules)
- A copy of your passport or ID
The research proposal and the reference letters are the slow ones. Ask your referees early and give them a clear picture of the project. For the English certificate, check which test types the current call accepts before you book anything, because the accepted types are strictly specified. For general advice on getting transcripts and degrees in order, see our documents checklist for international scholarships.
From first email to signed contract
- Identify an accredited host research centre in Spain (or an eligible Portuguese partner centre) and a supervisor in your STEM field.
- Develop a joint research proposal with that supervisor.
- Submit the online application to the Incoming or Retaining call, whichever applies, before the January deadline.
- An international panel evaluates candidates on academic record and the quality of the research proposal.
- Shortlisted candidates may be invited to interview.
- Successful fellows sign a three-year doctoral contract and start their PhD at the host institution.
How the yearly cycle runs
The call usually opens in October or November. The deadline falls in late January (for the 2026 Incoming call it was 28 January 2026, 2:00 PM Peninsular Spain time). Evaluation and interviews run from February to April, results come out in spring and the PhD contract begins in the autumn of the award year.
In practice, the real deadline is much earlier than January. If you only start contacting supervisors when the call opens, you will have a couple of months to agree on a project and write a strong proposal over the holiday period, when many academics are away. Aim to have a supervisor on board several months before the deadline. Confirm the exact dates for the next cycle on the official portal, since they change from year to year.
Who should apply, and who should probably wait
INPhINIT suits a Pakistani graduate with a strong academic record, some research exposure (a thesis, a publication or a solid project) and a clear idea of what they want to study. It suits people who are comfortable writing directly to senior researchers and who can turn a rough idea into a focused proposal.
It is a poor fit if your field is outside STEM, if you have already started a PhD, or if you have more than four years of research activity behind you. It is also hard going if you do not yet have a research direction. The panel assesses scientific quality rigorously, and a vague proposal will not survive that.
Common mistakes we see with competitions like this one:
- Writing to supervisors at centres that are not eligible hosts
- Applying to the Incoming call after living in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3-year window
- Leaving the English certificate until the last weeks and then finding the test type is not accepted
- Submitting a proposal that reads like a literature review instead of a specific, ambitious research plan
If you are comparing options in the same country, our guide to all Spain scholarships covers the other routes.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for INPhINIT?
Yes. The programme is open to researchers of any nationality with no country quota. Eligibility depends on career stage and prior mobility, not citizenship.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
No. The requirement is English proficiency at the level set by the call, because research and supervision at the host centres is typically in English. Check which certificates the current call accepts.
Do I need a supervisor before I apply?
Yes. The research proposal is developed jointly with a supervisor at an eligible host research centre before you submit, so finding that supervisor is the first step.
I already have a master's and two years as a research assistant. Am I still eligible?
Possibly. The limit is no more than four years of research activity before the call deadline, and you must not have started a PhD. Add up all your research roles carefully and check how the current call defines research activity.
What fields are covered?
STEM disciplines only, including life sciences, physics, mathematics, engineering and computer science, along with related fields. Social sciences and humanities projects are not part of this programme.
Can I do my PhD in Portugal instead of Spain?
Under some calls, a smaller number of partner centres in Portugal are eligible. Check the current call rules to see which Portuguese centres are included.
Before you start contacting supervisors, read the current call rules on the official "la Caixa" Foundation website and keep our INPhINIT scholarship page handy for the key facts.