La Caixa Foundation 2026

la Caixa Foundation is a major Spanish philanthropic foundation that funds research, doctoral training, and social impact initiatives. For students and researchers, its best-known international opportunity is the Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowships, a competitive programme for early-stage researchers who want to undertake PhD training in Spain or Portugal.

The INPhINIT fellowships are designed to attract talented candidates of any nationality and support doctoral study at universities and research centres. Reference postings indicate that the programme includes tuition coverage, a living stipend, and support for research-related costs. Opportunities may be available across a wide range of disciplines, including STEM fields and, in some calls, broader subject areas. Host institutions are typically leading Spanish and Portuguese universities or research centres.

The foundation also appears in research postings as a project funder, supporting specific PhD and research positions at institutions such as the University of Porto and the University of Salamanca. In addition, la Caixa Foundation runs thematic funding calls such as child survival projects in selected Sub-Saharan African countries. However, for student-focused scholarship purposes, the INPhINIT doctoral fellowships are the clearest and most established programme linked to this name.

Applicants are generally expected to be early-stage researchers with a strong academic background and qualifications that permit enrolment in a doctoral programme. For the Incoming call, postings state that candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Spain or Portugal for more than 12 months during the three years before the deadline. Specific academic, language, and host-institution conditions can vary by call.

Applications are usually submitted online through the official la Caixa Foundation portal. Candidates should review the relevant call carefully, choose the appropriate track such as Incoming or Retaining, prepare supporting documents, and coordinate with the intended host university or research centre where required.