MSCA COFUND Ramon Llull - AIRA Postdoctoral Programme

1st Call Opens : 20 December 2024 | Deadline: 20 February 2025

The Ramon Llull-AIRA Postdoctoral Programme (RAMON LLULL) offers 33 three-year fellowships —17 in 2024 and 16 in 2025— to train researchers in Catalonia's top R&D institutions in artificial intelligence (AI). The programme is led by the Computer Vision Centre (CVC-CERCA), along with AIRA partner institutions (IIIA-CSIC, BSC, IDEAI-UPC, IRII-CSIC-UPC) and eight other leading AI research institutions: UAB, UPF, UdG, URL, URV, Eurecat, i2CAT, and IJC-CERCA. These institutions, including five universities, two technology centres, and one clinical research institution, will recruit, host, and train fellows.

Supported by the Catalan Government through the AIRA Initiative, the RAMON LLULL Programme aims to advance researchers' careers through excellent human-centred AI research, leadership development, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The programme fosters interdisciplinary and intersectoral fundamental research in AI, adhering to Open Science principles and high-quality research standards.

Please, visit our website https://www.ramonllull-aira.eu, for further information and extended details on the application and selection process.

Fellows in the project will have the chance to:

• Pursue their own research project with a significant degree of work independence and further their career development and recognition.
• Work in a multi-disciplinary team of top world researchers in AI.
• Enhance their skills and knowledge through an individualized Training Programme.
• Have access to go on secondments to a global network of partnerships with a wide range of academic and non-academic profiles. 
• Explore their ideas and conduct cutting-edge research without commercial constraints.
• Contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and societal well-being.

Which research topics are supported?

The programme offers a bottom-up approach in which ER fellows will be free to choose from a wide range of multidisciplinary research themes and topics in AI and related fields for its application in 7 major sub-themes: 1) Life Sciences; 2) Digital Health & Wellbeing; 3) Smart Mobility; 4) Personalised Education & Training; 5) Digital business & Industry; 6) Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment; 7) Cultural Heritage & Inclusive Societies.

Timeline and evaluation process

• 20 February 2024: The call is closed, and all applications are reviewed for validation. All the applications lacking the required documentation and/or not meeting the mobility and experience rules will be discarded.
• During the next two weeks: Applicants will be contacted in case that any documentation is missing or incomplete, and they will be informed by email if they are eligible or not. A redress process will be enabled.
• During the next 10 weeks.: All accepted applications will be assessed by the external evaluation committee, chosen and managed by the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR).
• During the next two weeks: Shortlisted candidates will be called to the interview phase.
• Two weeks later: The committee will rank all the applications and will communicate the result. The applicants will be offered the fellowship following the ranking provided by the external evaluation committee.
• Q2 2025: The accepted fellows will start their contract. Early incorporations are also possible.

What kind of contract will fellows have?

Selected fellows will receive a minimum gross salary of 38,900€/year, which excludes the employer’s contribution to social security but includes the employee’s tax and social security contributions. In Spain, net salary is calculated from the annual gross income by deducting income tax (IRPF) and social security contributions, which can change from year to year based on government updates. The income tax rate varies by income level, personal circumstances, and region, while social security deductions are currently around 6.50% for the employee. The remainder after these deductions is the net salary.

Hosting organizations are free to complement the minimum salary (Any supplement or additional payment may affect the amount of income tax owed). Details can be discussed during the negotiation phase.

A budget to cover the expenses for execution of the individual research projects will be available for the fellows and managed by the hosting institutions.

Selected fellows will be contracted by one of the research organizations involved in the project and will be affiliated to the Spanish Social Security during the stay, together with their potential family members.