Talent Return Programme 2026
Closed
Deadline: -
Funding body:
Fundación Ramón Areces
The Ramón Areces Foundation promotes the Talent Return Programme, aimed at facilitating the return to Spain of Spanish researchers with an established career abroad, through their integration into Spanish public research institutions for the development of high-impact research projects.
With the aim of broadening the scope of the Programme and adapting it to different stages of a research career, the call is structured into two categories:
Senior Return Category
Aimed at the return of established researchers who have developed their scientific career abroad and have proven experience as principal investigators, with the objective of enabling them to develop a far-reaching research project at a Spanish public institution.
Junior Return Category
Aimed at the return of junior researchers in the early stages of scientific leadership who have demonstrated an outstanding scientific career at international research centres, with the objective of facilitating their integration into the Spanish public research system.
Application period: from 10 February 2026 to 30 June 2026 (at 19:00 peninsular time)
Applicants must must send their application to the foundation by 22 June 2026, at 12:00, together with the evaluation application form, for assessment by the iiSGM Research Committee email link(ELIMINAR). In addition, it is necessary to notify your interest in applying at least 10 working days in advance.
Requirements
Requirements common to both modalities (Senior Return and Junior Return):
- Hold Spanish nationality, duly accredited.
- Not have a committed position or be on leave of absence in Spain.
- Have a formal hosting proposal from a Spanish public institution (hospital, university or research institution) to develop a research project at that centre.
- Submit, together with the host institution, a research project with defined objectives, a timetable and monitoring indicators.
- Submit a joint declaration with the host institution stating the intention to continue developing the professional activity in Spain at the end of the Programme, provided that the minimum conditions for doing so are met.
- Undertake to acknowledge the Foundation’s contribution in scientific publications and at representation events.
Specific requirements for the Senior Return modality:
- Have been residing and working on scientific projects outside Spanish territory, at the time of application, for a period of no less than ten (10) years. For the purposes of this call, occasional stays abroad, nor the provision of services as a volunteer or in any other form that does not entail financial remuneration, will be considered as time spent residing abroad.
- Have led or be leading a scientific project as principal investigator at the time of application.
Specific requirements for the Junior Return modality:
- Have been residing and working on scientific projects outside Spanish territory, at the time of application, for a period of no less than five (5) years. For the purposes of this call, occasional stays abroad, nor the provision of services as a volunteer or in any other form that does not entail financial remuneration, will be considered as time spent residing abroad.
- Have developed an outstanding scientific career at research centres abroad, evidenced by scientific output, emerging leadership capacity and the potential to establish an independent research group in Spain.