Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) from all nationalities can take part in Wit programme if they meet the following requirements (according to admission conditions of Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions):

1. Research experience-Early-Stage Researcher (ESR): candidates must be in the first four years (Full-Time Equivalent Research Experience: it is measured from the date when a researcher obtained the degree which would formally entitle him or her to embark on a doctorate, ) of their research careers at the time of submission of their application and not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.

   Career breaks: exception will be made for career break due to maternity/paternity leave, illness or compulsory national services. These career breakers will be encouraged to apply for the WIT Programme and to restart their scientific careers. Besides, the research career path and any breaks caused by interruptions due to time spent working in the industry or other sectors will be considered an advantage of the intersectoral ability of the researcher.

2. Comply with the MSCA mobility rule: Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Spain for longer than 12 months (whether consecutive or not) within the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission of applications (18 March, 2023). Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.

   Spanish researchers who fulfill this requirement can also apply. Returnees from phases of international, intersectoral and/or non-academic mobility (such as research stays outside of Spain, working for industry, or after a career break e.g. due to family reasons or medical reasons) are especially encouraged to apply.

3. Hold a degree entitling them to embark on a doctorate: candidates must have completed the studies that lead to an official university degree from any country of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) awarding 300 ECTS, of which, at least 60 ECTS must correspond to master level. Or they must have completed a degree in a University not adapted to the EHEA that gives access to doctoral studies.
    

4. English level: Applicants need to be able to comunicate and understand English fluently (written and spoken-B2 level at least must be certificated).

The WIT fellowship consist of the pre-doctoral hiring of research personnel by the contracting universities for the completion of the doctoral thesis, with these employability conditions: 

• Full time contract (up to 36 months, co-funded by MSCA COFUND grant) in the university where the doctoral programme will be done.
• Hiring cost of 32,400 euros per year (without family allowance) or 36,000 euros per year (with family allowance), and includes the payment of the employer's social security contribution by the hiring universities for each worker. 
• Gross salary of 25,144 euros per year (without family allowance) or 27,944 euros per year (with family allowance). The salary will be paid by the contracting universities (UPNA and UNAV) and will include all corresponding benefits according to Spanish law, such as social security and health insurance, pension deductions, employee taxes and maternity/paternity leave, etc.
• Relocation expenses (mobility allowance) up to 2,400 €. Each ESR will receive a single payment at the beginning of the fellowship.
• Personal research budget up to 4,800 € per annum for each ESR to cover comestible, conference attendance, publication costs, workshops, etc.
• Travel allowance up to 2,400 € per annum for each ESR to cover travel and subsistence during secondments or short stays at partner facilities.

Wit Programme is committed to offer the doctoral fellows the best facilities to run their researchs, and the best environment and support for their activities.

Administrative units form the recruiting institutions, such us, Human Resources, Research Management, International Center, Student Care, Research Departments, will work together to take care of the fellow in terms of contract signing, VISA issues, research funds management for his/her project, trips and accommodation arrangements, etc.

Additionally, at the beginning of the fellowship, each researcher will be appointed an academic supervisor who will be a senior researcher of the research group at the hosting institution, who will be responsible for the fellow’s overall well-being, career development and integration into the research community at the hosting institution and its environment. The academic supervisor within the hosting institution will support the fellow in order to:

• Ensure his/ her progress  by checking and supporting in the achievement of results according to plan and budget, and in the personal development in relation to planning trainings and secondments;
• Maintain direct relationship with the researcher and support her/him during the whole fellowship period.
• Monitor, evaluate and inform to the Steering Committee in the half-yearly reports.

Furthermore, the ESR will be assigned an external mentor from an industrial partner who will actively participate in his/her mentorship during the whole fellowship period providing critical mentoring and career guidance from an industrial point of view. The fellow will be invited by his/her mentor for short stays at industrial facilities to assess progress and provide training if required.

The fellow, assisted by the academic supervisor and industrial mentor, will draw up a Personal Development Plan (PDP) aimed at establishing a tailored career development strategy.

Additionally, the participants will take part in:

• Research and training activities organised by the hosting research group.
• Interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial skills trainings offered by both universities and by partner industrial organizations.
• Universities cultural and sport life.

In addition to the specific training offered in the doctoral programs in which each ESR is enrolled and the training they receive in their respective groups and areas of research, the WIT programme offers the following training courses for the acquisition of transversal competencies, useful for all the predoctoral fellows:

Doctoral GPS program. Mentored path to success: Career guidance and development for Early-Stage Researchers

By Dr. Sara Manzano

The aim of this program is to provide strategical planning methodologies and highly specialized career development tools for Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) to support the candidates in the acquisition of transversal skills for the design and progression of their professional careers in both, academia and R&D-related industry. This course is tailored to fit each doctoral candidate´s goals, strengths and potential. The Doctoral GPS is a theoretical-practical program based on a 4-weeks tutored process where the critical phases typically experienced thorough a doctorate will be presented. The ESR will be guided through the limitations and opportunities for personal and career development in each stage of the doctorate to finally discuss about the different tools and strategies to support them and maximize the outputs of their research.

First Steps in Submitting Papers and Asking for Projects

By Dr. Nazareth Torres

This course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to allow them publishing scientific papers in International Journals and to be able to ask for funding in public calls.

Workshop on responsible research: ethics and integrity

By Dr. Joaquín Sevilla Moróder

The process of obtaining good science is less obvious than it may appear; besides adequate experimental designs and careful data gathering, researchers must be cautious about issues such as ethics, integrity, or data openness, to ensure the value of their work. They must develop a ‘responsible research’, so specific training on ethics and integrity is considered actually an important building block in the first steps of the scientific career.

Sex and/or Gender Analysis in Research

By Prof. Capitolina Díaz Martínez and Prof. Andrea Corrales Devesa

This course aims to enable PhD students to include the sex and/or gender analysis in their PhD theses and in the scientific articles that may result from their investigations. The main sexist biases typical of conventional research and their effect on the final quality of the research is discussed. A review of the relevance of a gender approach in various fields of research is made, based on concrete cases and looking at what a gender analysis implies. The acquisition of these competencies improves the quality of thesis projects.

New trends in Tech Transfer Actions. From lab to society

By Xavier Tapias Mateu

This course is designed to provide practical tools to predoctoral researchers so that they can begin to implement the vision of transfer in their research. Tech-transfer models, tools and processes, intellectual property, protection and ownership of research results, business tools, or how to create a Star-up/Spin-off are some of the contents of this training. During the course, all the tools and knowledge taught will be implemented and used, in a final practical case.

Wit aims to achieve a representative gender balance at all levels, both in terms of the people selected to participate in it and at the level of decision making, supervision and management.

This gender equality plan is an open document that will be given to the members of the Wit committees and management bodies. It will be updated and revised at any time during the project if necessary.

Descargar Plan de Igualdad de WIT