PREDOCTORAL PHD OPPORTUNITY – FPU FELLOWSHIP
The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM) is the largest marine research centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). It is also the first marine science centre to be accredited as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, a recognition to the institution’s leadership in the field of marine research in Spain and to its commitment to create social impact.
Our goal is to develop research of excellence to inspire a society in harmony with the blue planet, in line with the values of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
For further information, please visit our website.
About the role and the team
We are seeking a talented and highly motivated candidate to apply for a competitive national predoctoral fellowship (FPU), with the possibility of joining the MedAcidWarm project at the ICM. This is an opportunity to pursue PhD research at the intersection of climate change, marine biology and molecular research.
The PhD will be jointly supervised by Blanca Figuerola and Javier del Campo, bringing together complementary expertise in marine invertebrate biology, microbial ecology and molecular approaches. The successful candidate will also join the MedRecover Research Group, working in a dynamic, collaborative and international research environment.
Job description
The research will investigate how benthic invertebrates and their associated microbiomes respond to ocean warming and acidification. The project combines complementary approaches to understand organismal and microbial responses to a rapidly changing ocean, including:
Conduct fieldwork and/or laboratory experiments
Microbiome analysis
Transcriptomics
Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)
Metabolomics
Expected background and skills
Academic background in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry or a related field.
Overall average grade of at least 9/10 in both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Strong motivation to pursue doctoral research in marine science and climate-change biology.
Curiosity, initiative, teamwork and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research.
Interest in molecular and analytical techniques relevant to the project.
Effective oral and written communication skills in English.
Application procedure
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate interested in applying for the competitive FPU 2026 predoctoral fellowship to carry out PhD research within the MedAcidWarm project. Interested candidates should send the following documents to figuerola@icm.csic.es by October 31st, 2026:
Curriculum Vitae (CV), including relevant academic and research experience.
Motivation letter, explaining their research interests, relevant background and motivation to join the project.
Official academic transcripts for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, clearly indicating the final average grades. A minimum overall average grade of 9/10 is required for the Bachelor's degree.
Spanish grade equivalence declarations, for degrees obtained abroad (see official FPU call for details).
Please read the full FPU 2026 call carefully and make sure you meet all eligibility requirements: https://www.aei.gob.es/en/announcements/announcements-finder/ayudas-contratos-fpu-2026/convocatoria
Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Please note that this opportunity is conditional on eligibility for and successful award of the FPU fellowship and does not constitute an already funded PhD position.