BBVA Foundation – Hospital Clínic de Barcelona Joan Rodés – Josep Baselga Advanced Research Contracts

Two research contracts will be awarded to two professionals with a strong clinical  and/or translational research profile for the development and leadership of a research project.

The contract will have a duration of 3 years and will entail a research stay of at least 6 months. This stay will be in one or several centers of international repute, preferably abroad, unless Spain is home to a leading center in the discipline other  than Hospital Clínic Barcelona/IDIBAPS. The centers in question will be chosen by mutual agreement between the beneficiary and the head of service. Where considered important for the development of the project, this stay may be extended to a maximum of 2 years.

Applicants will be individuals of Spanish nationality, regardless of place of residence, or non-Spanish nationals with stable or long-term residence in Spain, with a track record of scientific research in the clinical and/or translational space and demonstrating a particular interest in one of Campus Clínic’s strategic research lines.

Moreover, all candidates must meet the following conditions at the time of applying:

• Be aged under 45. This age limit may be raised by a maximum of three years when the applicant’s professional career has been interrupted due to the birth, adoption or fostering of a child/children, or due to accident or sickness leaves lasting two or more consecutive months. In such cases, where duly accredited, the limit may be raised by a period equal to that of the interruption, rounded up to a full month. Applications to extend the age limit for any of these reasons can be made by submitting a letter setting out the facts together with the necessary supporting documentation. Hospital Clínic Barcelona and the BBVA Foundation will study this statement and will formally notify the applicant of their decision.
• Be a specialist in a field of the Health Sciences.
• Have completed their PhD thesis and hold the academic title of doctor.

These contracts may not be obtained or enjoyed simultaneously with others.

The heads of the Hospital Clínic Barcelona services in whose areas the selected projects will be carried out will designate a tutor for each from among the  institution’s preeminent professionals, who will supervise the progress of the project, participating in the selection of host centers for the research stays and liaising with the same.

Each research contract will be funded with 300,000 euros over the three-year period, breaking down as 65,000 euros for the beneficiary’s gross annual salary and 105,000 euros to pay for travel and accommodation, the purchase of consumables, and other project-related costs that are required for its execution. All such expenses must be itemized and justified in the project description, with the minimum annual outlay set at 10,000 euros.

Each application will comprise the following documents:

1. Application form completed and signed by the applicant. Forms should include a text setting out the candidate’s reasons for applying, with a maximum length of 1,000 characters including spaces.
2. Copy of DNI (both sides)/Passport.
3. Non-Spanish nationals should provide documentation accrediting their stable or longterm residence in Spain: registration certificate of Union citizen, foreign national’s identity card (TIE), residence permit issued under Law 14/2013 of September 27 on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalization, and municipal record of residence certificate, as appropriate.
4. Copy of specialty certificate.
5. Copy of PhD degree certificate or proof of application for the issue of the same.
6. Curriculum vitae setting out the candidate’s relevant merits and contributions in regard to this call (maximum 4 pages).
7. A letter of reference from a researcher or expert in the relevant field who has a direct knowledge of the applicant’s contributions. This letter must be sent directly by its signatory, together with the Personal Data Processing form, to the email address ayudas-investigacion@fbbva.es before the deadline for submissions. Such letters may in no event be signed by a head of service at Hospital Clínic.
8. Description of the research project to be carried out, using the template provided.
9. In the case of applicants aged over 45, a statement of the pertinent facts with  supporting documentation.

The period for submitting applications will run from December 20, 2023 to February 20, 2024 at 18:00, Spanish standard time.

Candidates may complete their applications and attach the required documentation in Spanish or English.

All applications should be submitted to the email address ayudas-investigacion@fbbva.es with the applicant’s name stated in the subject line.

If the application contains rectifiable errors, the BBVA Foundation will inform the applicant to this effect, so they may correct them within 10 calendar days of this notification, as a precondition for the application to enter the evaluation process.

The process of selecting candidates and awarding the research contracts will be in the charge of an evaluation committee made up of 10 experts of acknowledged prestige in the realm of clinical and/or translational research.

The BBVA Foundation and Hospital Clínic Barcelona will each appoint an equal number of committee members. The committee will be chaired by a representative of Hospital Clínic Barcelona who will also have a casting vote.

The evaluation committee will assess applicants against the following main criteria:

– The applicant’s CV profile
– The research project submitted
– The viability of the submitted project

The committee will arrive at its decision independently, relying on the best standards applicable to the research discipline.

The resolution of the call will be publicly announced no later than April 30, 2024.

The call may be declared wholly or partially void and the evaluation committee’s decision will not be open to appeal.

Once the call has been resolved, the names of the research contract recipients and the membership of the evaluation committee will be published on the websites of the BBVA Foundation and Hospital Clínic Barcelona/IDIBAPS.

There will be no further correspondence or communication with applicants who were not among those selected. No itemized or individual information will be provided on either the applications received or the deliberations of the evaluation committee.

Research contract awardees must sign an acceptance statement before May 30, 2024. the start of research work under the contract must take place within three months of The signing of this statement.

Acceptance will necessarily entail a stable dedication by the selected researcher over The full length of the project and for the full term of the research contract signed.

This call for applications will comply with the provisions of current legislation on the protection of personal data.

The act of participating in this call signifies the acceptance of its conditions and resolution, which will not be open to appeal, and the renunciation of any claim in its respect.

Exceptionally, the BBVA Foundation and Hospital Clínic Barcelona reserve the right to make changes in the wording of these conditions for the sole purpose of clarifying their content, without such changes in any case implying a substantial or arbitrary alteration of the same. The text of the conditions will be available on this website and Hospital Clínic.