Deadline: 23 September 2026

The 2026 call for the ‘La Caixa’ Junior Leader Postdoctoral Fellowships is now open. If you are a motivated PhD researcher in environmental or marine sciences looking to take the next step in your career, the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, welcomes applications for the prestigious ‘La Caixa’ Foundation Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowships Programme. If you are a CESAM researcher, this is an exceptional opportunity to host and supervise outstanding postdoctoral fellows. Serving as a supervisor allows you to attract international talent, elevate your academic profile, and expand your professional network. All STEM areas (life sciences, experimental sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, technology and mathematics) are eligible.

[If you are a CESAM researcher and wish to be a supervisor, follow this link]

Junior Leader – Incoming:

• Open to researchers of any nationality.
• PhD awarded between 2 and 7 years before the call deadline (extensions possible for career breaks).
• Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline.

Junior Leader – Retaining:

• Open to researchers of any nationality who have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal continuously for at least the last 12 months immediately before the call deadline.
• PhD awarded between 2 and 7 years before the call deadline (extensions possible for career breaks).
• Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity outside Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline.
• Additional requirement: Candidates must have carried out research stays at a centre or university outside Portugal, during their doctoral or postdoctoral studies, for a total of at least 6 months before the closing date of the call.

Funding

The maximum payment amount will be €320,100, in three maximum annual payments of €102,500 which include:

• Labor costs: a maximum of €64,000 gross to cover the total labor costs of the university or research centre that contracts the fellow. The minimum annual gross salary to be offered to the fellow by the host institution must be €47,000.
• Research costs: €38,500 gross per year for expenses directly related to the Junior Leader project including consumables, equipment, hiring of personnel, registration for conferences or courses, research visits and intellectual copyright costs, among others.
• Annual family allowance: €1,200 gross per year for each dependent child.
• Mobility: €5,400 gross at the beginning of the fellowship for fellows who need to relocate to join the host institution (those who need to travel more than 50 km).

Why Choose CESAM?

CESAM is dedicated to addressing critical environmental and marine challenges through transdisciplinary research. With over 500 active members, including more than 200 PhD holders, CESAM provides a vibrant community dedicated to scientific discovery and innovation. Key research areas at CESAM include: Global Change, Adaptation, and Mitigation; Environmental management and Pollution; and Socio-Ecological Systems and Resources.

By joining CESAM, you will be part of a collaborative environment that fosters international partnerships and cutting-edge research. Our team possesses expertise in diverse fields, including ecotoxicological innovative approaches that consider multiple stressors, analytical chemistry, modelling atmospheric and hydrodynamic processes (freshwater, coastal & oceanic), ‘Omics’ technologies and bioinformatics, environmentally friendly technologies (e.g., LCA), environmental economics, and stakeholder engagement.

How to Apply

If you already have a topic of research, check out CESAM´s website to find a potential supervisor who matches your research interests. Alternatively, you can email cesam-gesciencia@ua.pt by 4 August 2026, including:

• An abstract of your project proposal;
• A short CV specifying the area of your PhD, the date it was awarded, and the institution that granted the degree.

CESAM will then attempt to match you with a suitable supervisor. Please note that a match is not guaranteed, as there may not be an available or interested supervisor.

If you have no idea about the topic you want to address, you can search this list to see if there is any project that fits your research interests. If you spot a relevant topic, get in touch with us!

Further information can be read here.

If a match is found, CESAM and the University of Aveiro’s research support offices will guide you through the application process.