CED - Predoctoral Research Contract for Doctoral Training (FPI) - HEALTHDYNAMICS Project

Centre for Demographic Studies (CED); España; On-site; EUR 20,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) seeks a First Stage Researcher to undertake doctoral work within the HEALTHDYNAMICS project, hosted by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). You will research health and mortality dynamics using population registers, contributing to publications and dissemination.

The role requires a PhD-admission track in Demography, strong quantitative skills, and English at C1. Collaboration with the CED team and participation in coordination activities are expected.

Qualifications

• Must meet admission requirements for the PhD in Demography at UAB.
• Strong quantitative analysis skills and English at advanced level.
• Experience with statistical analysis and health-related data welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Carry out doctoral research linked to the HEALTHDYNAMICS project.
• Conduct literature reviews and develop theoretical frameworks.
• Collaborate on management and analysis of health and mortality registers in Catalonia.
• Apply statistical methods to study health trajectories and inequalities.
• Prepare scientific publications and presentations; participate in dissemination.
• Engage in team coordination and scientific activities.

Skills

Advanced quantitative analysis

English (C1)

R

Stata

Health inequalities

Education

Admission to PhD in Demography at UAB

Tools

R

Stata

Job description

Organisation/Company Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) Research Field Demography Sociology Economics Geography Political sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 20 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Background to the Call

This call for applications is being published in advance of the final award decisions for projects funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, AEI) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), as well as the final award decisions for predoctoral research contracts for doctoral training. These awards are governed by Article 12 of the call for Knowledge Generation Projects and associated initiatives for the training of predoctoral researchers, dated 29 October 2025 and published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) on 31 October 2025. Accordingly, this call is conditional upon the final award decisions for the relevant projects. The successful candidate will undertake research activities and a doctoral thesis within the Doctoral Programme in Demography at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), as part of project PID2025-176051OB-I00, hosted by the Centre for Demographic Studies (Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics, CED).

Project Overview

The project HEALTHDYNAMICS - Dynamics of Health and Survival: Leveraging Unique Population Registers to Address New Challenges and Old Debates (Ref. PID2025-176051OB-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and led by Iñaki Permanyer and Aïda Solé-Auró, aims to investigate the evolution of health and mortality dynamics in Catalonia using a data source that has been largely underused: the health and mortality registers of the Catalan population. With these data, the project seeks to shed light on one of the most pressing challenges Spanish society will have to face in the coming decades: ensuring that longevity continues to rise while population health continues to improve.

Duties

The specific tasks of the person hired include:

• Carrying out doctoral research linked to the scientific objectives of the project
• Taking part in the literature review and the development of theoretical frameworks on contemporary dynamics of health and disease in the Spanish and European context
• Collaborating in the preparation, management and analysis of health and mortality registers in Catalonia, which will be complemented with other health-related sources (such as health surveys, SHARE surveys, etc.)
• Applying statistical methods to study individual health and mortality trajectories, analyzing different dimensions of inequality (for example, by gender, educational level, territory, origin/nationality, etc.)
• Taking part in the preparation of scientific publications, conference presentations and other dissemination activities
• Collaborating in the scientific and coordination activities of the research team

Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Holding the degree and academic profile required for admission to the PhD in Demography at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), preferably in Sociology, Demography, Economics, Statistics, Geography, or related disciplines
• Advanced level of English (C1), both spoken and written
• Advanced quantitative analysis skills and an interest in empirical social research
• Knowledge of statistical methods and use of data analysis software (R, Stata or similar) will be valued
• Experience or interest in the study of health and mortality and the corresponding inequalities across different dimensions (e.g. gender, educational level, territory, origin/nationality) will be valued

Employment Conditions

• The successful candidate must take up the position at the host institution within a maximum of nine months from the first day of the month following publication of the award decision on the website of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI). The employment start date must be the first day of the relevant month
• A four-year employment contract is offered. If the candidate completes their PhD during this period, they may be eligible to enter the postdoctoral orientation stage (POP) for a maximum of one year. In all cases, the total duration of the contract may not exceed four years
• Remuneration and eligible costs will be governed by the terms and conditions set out in the relevant call issued by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU)

From 2 to 20 November 2026 (until 11:59 p.m.)

• Further information about the CED is available on our website
• This call is subject to the provisions of the 2025 call for Knowledge Generation Projects and associated initiatives for the training of predoctoral researchers, within the framework of the Spanish State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research 2024-2027, as well as any decisions arising from that call