4 Postdoctoral Fellowships in Astrophysics and Cosmology — J-TRAIN MSCA COFUND Programme (CEFCA, Spain)

CEFCA; España; On-site; EUR 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

CEFCA invites applications for a 48-month, full-time postdoctoral fellowship in astronomy/cosmology.

Fellows will design and execute an independent research project within CEFCA's end-to-end astrophysics ecosystem, benefiting from two mandatory international secondments and intersectoral training.

Qualifications

• PhD is required for eligibility.
• MSCA mobility rule must be satisfied: no residence in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months before deadline.
• Not currently permanently employed by CEFCA.
• Open to all nationalities; strong research potential encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead your own research project aligned with CEFCA's surveys.
• Dual supervision: a CEFCA supervisor plus an international co-supervisor.
• Two two-month international secondments funded by travel & networking allowance.
• Intersectoral visits with Satlantis, Eurecat and AstroÁndalus.
• Multidisciplinary training at OAJ, UPAD, and Galáctica outreach hub.
• Personalised Career Development Plan with transferable-skills training.

Education

PhD degree

Job description

Organisation/Company CEFCA Department Research Research Field Astronomy » Astrophysics Astronomy » Cosmology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 15 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND Reference Number 101261714 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101261714 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Fellowships have a duration of 48 months, on full-time employment contracts, and include two mandatory two-month international research secondments, intersectoral training opportunities, and multidisciplinar mobility.

Selected Fellows will join CEFCA's end-to-end astrophysics ecosystem: from data acquisition at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ), through data processing at UPAD, to societal outreach at the Galáctica science centre. CEFCA leads the large-area photometric surveys J-PAS, J-PLUS and J-VAR, and contributes to the ARRAKIHS space mission. Each Fellow will design and carry out an independent research project in any area of astrophysics or cosmology aligned totally or partially with CEFCA's main surveys.

• Design and lead your own research project, aligned with CEFCA's surveys.
• Dual supervision: a CEFCA research supervisor plus an international co-supervisor.
• Two two-month international secondments, fully funded through a dedicated travel & networking allowance
• Intersectoral visits at Satlantis (aerospace instrumentation), Eurecat (applied data science) and AstroÁndalus (astrotourism)
• Multidisciplinary training at OAJ telescopes, UPAD data centre, and the Galáctica outreach hub.
• A personalised Career Development Plan and structured transferable-skills training (project management, funding, ethics, gender, mental health, scientific writing, outreach).

Working Conditions

• Contract: 48 months, full-time, subject to Spanish labour law, with full social security coverage.
• Remuneration: competitive salary aligned with CEFCA's postdoctoral scale — total gross annual salary of approximately €42,695. Expected minimum net salary after tax: €31,248.
• Additional support: annual travel & networking allowance (€500/month), training allowance (equipment, workshops, writing school, forum attendance).

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must, at the call deadline:

• Hold a PhD degree.
• Comply with the MSCA mobility rule: not have resided, worked or carried out their main activity in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline (compulsory national service and refugee-status procedures under the Geneva Convention are not counted).
• Not already be permanently employed by CEFCA.

Open to all nationalities. J-TRAIN actively encourages applications from women and under-represented groups, and is committed to equal opportunities throughout the recruitment process.

Selection process

A transparent, merit-based, three-phase procedure with international peer review:

• Phase 0 — Eligibility check: verification of formal eligibility (PhD, mobility rule, completeness of documents, no ethical concerns). A 10-working-day redress period follows each decision.
• Phase 1 — Evaluation of research merits: three independent expert reviews of the candidate's profile, proposed project, and preliminary Career Development Plan.
• Phase 2 — Interviews: structured panel interviews (videoconference) with the top-ranked candidates.

The final ranking weights Phase 1 (60%) and Phase 2 (40%). All applicants receive individual feedback, and a 10-working-day redress period applies after each phase.

Required Documents

• Completed online application form (personal details)
• Declaration of honour regarding the MSCA mobility rule and commitment to participate in the programme's training activities
• Certified PhD diploma
• Cover letter with motivation for applying
• Detailed CV (track record, publications, project roles, supervision experience)
• Project information: title, summary and up to five keywords
• Research Statement (max. 8 pages / 10 MB), including a preliminary Career Development Plan (proposed secondments and relevant training activities)
• Contact details of two referees (reference letters requested only for candidates reaching Phase 2)
• GDPR consent and ethics self-assessment

Additional comments

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101261714.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.