Australia-Spain Network for Innovation and Research Excellence (AuSpire) – 28 Postdoctoral Fellowships (Call 3) RMIT Europe in Spain

The AuSpire Program (Australia-Spain Network for Innovation and Research Excellence) is now accepting applications for its third and final call, offering 28 postdoctoral fellowships funded through the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101177949.

AuSpire is an interdisciplinary, international initiative connecting Spanish and Australian research communities under the theme of Planetary Wellbeing. The programme supports research with meaningful societal and environmental impact, and successful fellows will work with renowned companies, research centres, and universities in Spain for 36 months, with international and/or intersectoral co-supervision and secondments to partner organisations in Spain and Australia for up to 12 months.

Call 3 includes five postdoctoral positions: IDIBGI-PF1 on computational discovery of mechanisms linking metabolism, inflammation, and the gut–brain axis; Monodon-PF2 on underwater laser communication signal processing technologies; RMIT/AigüesBCN-PF1 on contaminant non-targeted screening during drinking water production and managed aquifer recharge; BSC-PF1 on comparative genomics; and BSC-PF2 on computational transcriptomics.

The award offers a full-time employment contract in Spain for three years, with attractive salaries and social security benefits. Additional support includes a €4,000 relocation stipend for taking up employment, a €9,000 relocation stipend for compulsory secondment-related travel and accommodation, a €314 monthly family allowance for eligible fellows, and a €3,000 travel stipend for programme training and networking activities in Spain.

Eligibility is open to excellent researchers of any age, nationality, and gender who hold a doctoral degree by the deadline. Candidates who have defended their thesis but have not yet formally received the PhD may apply with a provisional certificate, provided the defence is unconditional and completed before the deadline. Applicants must satisfy the MSCA mobility rule, must not already be permanently employed by the chosen employing entity, and must commit to full-time exclusive dedication to the fellowship. A C1 level of English is required, with assessment based on documentation and interview where no recognised certificate is available.

The application deadline is 07 September 2026 at 23:59 CET, and applications must be submitted via the SlideRoom online portal. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview, and the successful candidate will start the postdoctoral fellowship in January 2027.