Contents
Job openings
Team Leaders
Group Opening
Post-doctoral Researchers
UPC is offering 3 positions within the Cátedra Chip Project in collaboration with ICFO and ICFO spin-offs Quside, Luxquanta and Qurv. The researchers will carry out their tasks within ICFO premises.
- 1 Post-doctoral position to develop mixed-signal ASICs for Quside’s quantum random number generator, including simulation, design, prototyping, and validation – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/6hcLP
- 1 Post-doctoral position to contribute to the research and development of photonic integrated circuits for Luxquanta’s continuous variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) technology. – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/lkPhE
- 1 Project Research Engineer position to develop thin film deposition processes and enhance process innovation and control for Qurv’s next-generation computer vision applications. – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/6fjVq
Group Opening
- Post-doctoral position in development of low-cost CMOS compatible intersubband optoelectronics (photodetectors and light emitters) in the MWIR and LWIR leveraging colloidal quantum dot technology
- Post-doctoral position in advanced water electrolysis and scale-up
- Post-doctoral position in photodetectors with 2d materials heterostructure
- Post-doctoral position in science and technology of moire quantum matter
- Post-doctoral position in chip-integrated infrared colloidal quantum dot lasers
- Post-doctoral position in novel ultrafast spectroscopy methods for photosynthesis and bioenergetics
- Post-doctoral positions in analogue electron quantum simulator
- Post-doctoral position in quantum optics of single atoms interacting with single photons
- Post-doctoral position in integrated photonics design, simulation, fabrication, characterization and packaging
- Post-doctoral position in SPM on twisted 2D materials
- Post-doctoral position in applications of magnetometry in nuclear magnetic resonance
- Post-doctoral position in reactive carbon electrolysis
- Post-doctoral position in accelerating the development of sustainable energy materials
- Post-doctoral position on thermal sensors and microbolometers
- Post-doctoral position in dark matter search with ultracold atoms
- Post-doctoral position in design and testing of thz detectors
- Post-doctoral position in atomic vapor quantum sensors
- Post-doctoral position in applications of near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy in critical care
- Post-doctoral position in speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) for non-invasive blood flow measurement
Staff Researchers
Project Engineers
PhD-fellows
General Call
A rolling call of the ICFO PhD Program, with periodic deadlines, is always open for candidates applying to do a PhD at ICFO.
All candidates will be considered for all available fellowships for which they are eligible. Some specific fellowships are announced through targeted calls. Candidates applying to these calls are also considered for all other fellowships for which they are eligible.
Students may also join ICFO with their own funding or through external fellowships. Interested candidates should apply directly to such programs, and may wish to contact ICFO research groups they might be interested to join.
For further general information on fellowships and specific calls, please contact us at jobs@icfo.eu
Currently we have the following call(s) open
Under- and Postgraduate Students
Internships for Undergraduate & Masters Students - Fall 2024 call: all applicants will be notified the results of the evaluation in their case by the end of December 2024, at the latest.
General Call
Admin & Technical Engineers
Tech Transfer & Business Development
Group Opening
Up to 12 PhD-positions available within the FLIGHT fellowship program (MSCA-COFUND action)
ICFO offers PhD-fellowship positions to well-qualified graduate students, who wish to obtain a doctoral degree in any of the research topics covered at ICFO.
The positions are offered in the scope of the FLIGHT Program, a MCSA-COFUND doctoral program explicitly focused on intersectoral research training in collaboration with Industrial or Clinical Partners.
Our PhD Fellowship Program welcomes applications from individuals with a degree in a field of mathematics, science, engineering or medical sciences related to the ICFO research activities.
Our PhD-program brings together top-level training and teaching for young scientists, benefiting from the extensive course offerings of local universities and focused instruction by ICFO professors, in a stimulating, international and interdisciplinary environment. PhD-students have the opportunity to take advantage of our network of excellence, consisting in partners of national and international research institutes and universities, as well as industrial partners in the field.
Recruited Fellows will have a choice of 3 PhD tracks:
- Clinical to develop a project in collaboration with one of Clinical Partners
- Industrial to develop a project in collaboration with one of Industrial Partners
- Enhanced to develop a project with one of ICFO’s Research Groups
Fellows in the Industrial and Clinical tracks will be embedded in both organisations, undertaking secondments of 6-18 months at the Partner during their Fellowship.
Research projects in the Clinical and Industrial tracks on offer in this call are the following:
Clinical track:
- CT003: “Prefrontal brain activity to understand and act against the development of dementia in aging”.
Prof. Dr. Turgut Durduran at ICFO and Dr. Marco Inzitari at Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili (Barcelona). - CT004: “Accelerating therapy development for neuromuscular diseases”.
Prof. Dr. Pablo Loza-Álvarez at ICFO and Dr. Cecilia Jimenez Mallebera at Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu. - CT005: “Transcranial, cot-side neuromonitoring for personalizing pediatric management”.
Prof. Dr. Turgut Durduran at ICFO and Dr. Marta Camprubi, Dr. Joan Sanchez and Dr. Carme Fons at Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu. - CT006: “Quantitative evaluation of endothelial and microvascular function in the critical care: new technologies shedding light to critical diseases”.
Prof. Dr. Turgut Durduran at ICFO and Dr. Jaume Mesquida at Institut d’Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí. - CT007: “Non-invasive, near-infrared spectroscopies for monitoring and understanding the effects physical activity on the muscles and the brain”.
Prof. Dr. Turgut Durduran at ICFO and Dr. Albert Busquets at INEFC.
Industrial track:
- IT003: “New Methods and Protocols for Quantum Random Number Generation”.
Prof. Dr. Antonio Acín at ICFO and Dr. Gabriel Senno at QUSIDE. - IT004: “Development of detectors and image sensors based on quantum dot technology”.
Prof. Dr Gerasimos Konstantatos at ICFO and Dr. Stijn Goossens at Qurv. - IT005: “Fabrication and characterization of high-performance transparent organic solar cells”.
Prof. Dr. Jordi Martorell at ICFO and Dr. Sergi Cuesta at Vitsolc.
Please, browse our website for details about the research projects on offer in the Industrial and Clinical tracks.
Enhanced track:
Up to 4 fellowships are available to work with one of ICFO’s 25 Research Groups
Research lines in the Enhanced track will be offered across all ICFO research groups. Research lines include, but are not limited to theoretical and experimental aspects of:
- Medical Optics
- Biophysics, Biophotonics & Super-Resolution Imaging
- Photovoltaics, Thermal Photonics & Solar Fuels
- Quantum and Low-Dimensional Materials
- Optical Sensing & Optoelectronics
- Nonlinear Optics, Ultrafast Optics & Atto-Science
- NanoPhotonics & NanoMechanics
- Ultracold Quantum Gases
- Quantum Communications, Sensing & Simulation
- Quantum Optics & Quantum Information
- Nanophotonics, Condensed Matter Physics & Light-Matter Interactions
Please, browse our website for details about ICFO Research Groups and Group Leaders at https://www.icfo.eu/research/groups/ If you are interested in discussing possible research topics, please contact ICFO Group Leaders directly.
Note that the Selection Committee may recommend the allocation of additional fellowships in case there are additional outstanding candidates.
Important: During your application, you will be requested to indicate the research group(s) and the project(s) you are interested in accomplishing your PhD with.
Important: All candidates will be automatically considered for the fellowships they will be eligible for in the currently open call: PhD-positions available within the ICFO PhD Program (fall 2023): https://jobs.icfo.eu/?detail=806
Financed by the European Union-NextGenerationEU-MICIIN(PRTR-C17. I1) and by the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Proyecto QUANTUM ENIA, financiado por el Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia en el marco de la Agenda España Digital 2025.
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Use the following URL:
https://jobs.icfo.eu/?detail=807
To be eligible for an ICFO PhD position, candidates must:
- Have an internationally-recognized Master-equivalent degree. The degree must be completed by the start of your prospective PhD at ICFO, at the latest, and must be in a field of mathematics, science, engineering or medical sciences related to the ICFO research activities. Degrees issued within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) must have an equivalent to 300 ECTS, out of which a minimum of 60 ECTS must have been obtained in postgraduate studies. Please, if in doubt regarding your academic eligibility, contact us at jobs@icfo.eu
- For candidates applying for a research project(s) in the Clinical track, a clinical background in neuropsychology, medicine, biology, biomedical engineering etc. will be valued.
- Candidates who have already been awarded a PhD are not eligible to apply.
- Have an excellent academic record, previous research experience and a strong commitment for scientific research.
- Have a high working knowledge of English.
- Candidates who have been already admitted into the ICFO doctoral program may apply if they have not previously applied to any equivalent ICFO PhD Fellowships call (this includes, for example, the Spring and Fall PhD fellowship calls and previous FLIGHT calls).
- Candidates who have not been admitted into the ICFO doctoral program and have previously applied to any previous call for equivalent ICFO PhD fellowships (this includes, for example, the Spring and Fall PhD fellowship calls and previous FLIGHT calls), may only apply again if they can demonstrate a substantial change in circumstances in their application. For example, candidates who applied while completing their Master program, who have subsequently completed their degree and corresponding masters thesis research project with significant output (grades, research results) that was not included in their previous application may apply again. Candidates should also explicitly describe any updates to their candidacy in their application documentation.
Specific Eligibility Requirements for FLIGHT
In addition to the general eligibility criteria defined above, candidates for the FLIGHT COFUND PhD positions must comply with the following EU-rules by the corresponding call deadline:
- Fulfil the MSCA mobility requirements: the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months during the last 3 years by the call deadline. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not counted.
ICFO is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit and potential on the basis of submitted application material. No restrictions of persons with disabilities, citizenship or gender apply to ICFO positions. ICFO abides by the principles of openness, efficiency, transparency, supportiveness, and international comparability as stated in the European Charter for Researchers and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
FLIGHT aims to recruit outstanding international Fellows from a wide range of backgrounds. ICFO will ensure equal opportunities among the potential applicants and encourage applications from candidates from under-represented groups, and non-standard career paths.
Candidates with disabilities or other special needs are strongly encouraged to apply to the program. ICFO will provide all possible assistance to ensure the candidate’s application is fairly assessed.
Candidates who have extenuating circumstances that may explain gaps in the academic career or other potentially negatively evaluated aspects of their application are invited to volunteer, if they wish, personal information that the selection panel may consider in their evaluation. Such information may include details of family obligations, severe illness or disability, refugee situation, etc. If the selection panel decides to shortlist a candidate based in part on such extenuating circumstances, it may require the candidate to provide reasonable supporting documentation.
CONDITIONS
ICFO PhD Fellowships are offered for a period of 4.5 years. The conditions of the positions awarded in the scope of the ICFO PhD fellowship program are as follows:
- Initial ICFO contract for a period of 6 months, while being pre-admitted to the PhD Program, with a follow-up/ renewal procedure at the end of this first stage. (1) During this period, students are fully integrated into an ICFO research group, take part in the ICFO working environment and training programs, and work with their supervisor to define and commence a research project. The annual gross salary subject to the stipulated fiscal and social security deductions during this period is 20.500€ during this period.
- After this initial period, students are formally enrolled in the UPC PhD Program in Photonics (2), and the FLIGHT COFUND PhD Fellowship is activated for a period of three years. Fellowships are renewable for an additional fourth year with ICFO Funding, and are formalized via a PhD-contract. Continuity and renewal are subject to satisfactory performance in the PhD studies and related research activities, evaluated annually by the Thesis Director and the ICFO PhD Committee.
- The annual gross salary subject to the stipulated fiscal and social security deductions is 26.006,00€ for the FLIGHT COFUND PhD Fellowship and for the 4th year PhD fellowship, if required. (3)
- All ICFO fellowships include medical are coverage and work accident insurance through the Spanish Social Security system, providing access to the Spanish public health care system.
- Relocation Allowance: a one-off payment of up to 2.000€ to cover relocation expenses at recruitment.
- Family Allowance: a one-off payment of up to 2.000€ for Fellows with family commitments to cover additional relocation expenses at recruitment. Eligibility will follow MSCA rules.
- Training and Other Costs: up to 1.800€ per year to cover training and related costs, such as registration fees, travel, and subsistence costs for participation in national or international events, conference, meetings, schools, and/or other training activities.
- Research Costs: up to 5.935,20€ per year for laboratory-based research projects. Funds can be used for consumables and other materials and equipment deemed necessary to carry out the research project.
The allocated funding for research, training, and other costs will be managed by the Group Leader of the group that hosts the Fellow and must be used in expenditures associated to the Fellow’s research activities.
(1) Note that in exceptional cases, e.g. when the candidate’s degree that gives access to the doctoral studies is older than three years, complying with the labor law in force, the initial trainee period might be shortened or not offered.
(2) In exceptional circumstances, a student may be enrolled in another local PhD program.
(3) The Gross remuneration for the FLIGHT COFUND PhD Fellowship and for the 4th year PhD fellowship, if required, is 33.600€ per year covering the full cost of the Living + Mobility Allowances, including salaries, social security contributions, taxes and other costs or compulsory deductions under national legislation linked to in the remuneration, and the mobility costs. The corresponding gross salary, including living and mobility allowance and subject to the stipulated fiscal and social security deductions, is 26.006,00€.
To apply, suitable candidates are requested to submit (in English) online the following material:
- A Cover Letter addressing research interests and motivation for application, as well as specific indication of a project and an ICFO research group of interest,
- A Curriculum Vitae, including contact details,
- Scanned copies of the complete (Bachelor and Master equivalent) official academic transcripts in English or Spanish,
- Scanned copies of the degree certificates, if available at the time of application,
- Holders of degrees issued within European Higher Education Area outside Spain shall also submit the European Diploma supplement, if available. If not submitted during the application, this will be compulsory to be submitted in further steps of the selection process.
- Holders of degrees issued in outside European Higher Education Area shall submit documentation that explicitly indicate equivalence of degree and/or admissibility in a PhD program in the country where it was issued. If not submitted during the application, this will be compulsory to be submitted in further steps of the selection process. Examples of documents we accept are:
- Official document or website from the degree granting university
- Academic transcript including this explicit description
- Letter or certificate from faculty, school or department, addressed to ICFO on official letter-head, signed by a person responsible for admissions into the PhD program
- Official document or website from the degree granting university
- If available, scanned copy of standardized test results (GRE, TOEFL, etc.). Note that submission of test results is optional, but they can be particularly helpful for evaluating candidates with degrees obtained outside the European Higher Education Area.
- The names and contact details of 2 referees. IMPORTANT: These referees will be automatically contacted by ICFO requesting them to complete a standardized evaluation form and submit a letter of support for the candidates one week of the application deadline. When they do so, the applicant will receive an email confirming that the corresponding reference letter has been submitted.
- Extenuating circumstances (optional; 1-page max). Candidates may submit a statement regarding any career interruptions (care of dependents, birth of children, etc.) or any other aspects, which will be taken-into-account in evaluating their applications.
All required application material, including letters of reference, must be complete and submitted by deadline in order for the application to be considered.
The deadline for submission of applications for the present call is September 26, 2023 at 11:00 am CET and the deadline for referees to submit the reference letters is September 29, 2023.
SELECTION PROCESS:
In a first step of the selection procedure, applications will be assessed by the Selection Committee based on merit and potential, measured in terms of the academic record and personal achievements. Academic excellence is a must. Pro-activity, participation in community activities, and capacity for team-work are also taken into account.
Applicants will be notified the results of the first evaluation stage by the end of October 2023.
In the second step of the selection procedure, shortlisted candidates will receive invitations to visit ICFO for personal interviews with the Selection Committee and Matching Interview Panels, planned to take place by mid November 2023.
Please note that that the visit to ICFO for personal interviews may have to be replaced by online interviews depending on the circumstances. Applicants will be notified accordingly.
Note: If you are from a country with visa-obligations for Spain, please be advised to already inquire (only inquire) regarding the documentation necessary (usually inviting letter ICFO, plus travel and accommodation bookings) and the potential appointment-situation at the local Spanish Embassy/ visa-office.
The final list with candidates recommended for fellowship concession, as well as reserve candidates, will be available by the end of November 2023. Being the last condition that shortlisted candidates find a hosting group at ICFO, candidates are then asked to contact the Group Leader(s) of choice to negotiate directly a potential PhD in their group, on a fellowship. Candidates and Group Leader should confirm within two weeks whether an agreement has been reached. Candidates without a match cannot be confirmed the fellowship.
A dedicated, external and independent Appeals Panel will be established to rule on the outcome of appeals from the applicants.
At all stages of the process, candidates may contact ICFO Human Resources and Education via jobs@icfo.eu ; for complete information about the PhD Admissions process at ICFO, please see https://www.icfo.eu/studies/phd-program/
For complete information visit the FLIGHT fellowship program website
26th of September, 2023
Identify your interests
As your career goals and research interests are an integral part of the selection procedure itself, apart from the ICFOjobs site, we encourage you to browse ICFO’s corporate website to learn more about ICFO’s research activities and to identify the projects and/or areas that best match your background. We also recommend that you visit Careers @ ICFO. A clear indication of your interests and goals in your presentation letter will help us in reviewing your candidacy.
Did you identify an opening meeting your interest and career goals? Then, we are looking forward to your application!
Should there be no opening matching your interest or background, please contact us at jobs@icfo.eu or directly contact with the relevant ICFO Group Leaders or Unit Heads to explore potential future possibilities in their fields.
The application process
If you have identified an opening matching your interests, please read carefully the information about requirements, conditions and necessary application material and start the application process. Candidatures should be submitted online via ICFOjobs, our online application interface, in a 2-step procedure:
- Registration:
The button ‘Apply to this opening’ takes you to the online application form, gathering your personal data for identification purposes. Once submitted, you will receive a link by e-mail, which you must follow in order to continue the application process. - Application:
In this second step of the process you will be asked to provide further details and the necessary application material, as well as, in some of the openings, to indicate potential referees. All enclosed documentation must be in PDF format or plain text.
Once the application form is complete and the relevant material has been uploaded, submit your candidature by clicking on the ‘apply’ button. Candidates will receive an automatic reply acknowledging submission including a reference number for further enquiries or updates (within deadline).
By submitting an application, you grant ICFO permission to use the provided data for the recruiting process. (See Data Protection Policy.)
The review process
Applications will first be reviewed to assure that they meet the requirements and conditions as indicated in the job opening. Candidatures will then be evaluated by the corresponding Selection Committee according to the selection criteria of each opening. ICFO is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit and potential on the basis of submitted application material. No restrictions related to disabilities, citizenship or gender apply to ICFO positions. ICFO abides by the principles of openness, efficiency, transparency, supportiveness, and international comparability as stated in the European Charter for Researchers and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
ICFO will notify candidates who are selected to pass to the next stage in the review process. Candidates who do not pass the first step of the review process will be notified of the outcome of their application at this time.
When requested, reference letters play an important role in supporting the candidate in the review process. Unless the call applied for indicate specific requirements in that sense, referees will be automatically contacted by ICFO requesting them to complete a standardized evaluation form and submit a letter of support for the candidates. Candidates should by no means submit a reference letter in support of their own candidature on behalf of their referees. The members of the selection committee will have access to reference letters.
On-site or online interviews (aiming at discussing the candidate’s suitability, project contents, hiring conditions and legal matters, etc.) with the Selection committee may be scheduled.
Notification of results
All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application. Possible results are:
- Rejection:
The Selection Committee reaches the conclusion that the background of other candidate(s) appears to be more suitable for the position. - Waiting list:
Candidate(s) may be placed on a waiting list based on the shortlist proposed by the Selection Committee. Candidate(s) on this list may receive an offer in the event that the top-candidate does not accept the position. Waiting list candidates will receive a final decision as soon as the top-candidate confirms acceptance. - Acceptance / offer:
ICFO extends an official offer, asking the selected candidate for formal confirmation of acceptance.
The selection process is completed as soon as the candidate confirms acceptance of the offered position and a tentative starting date has been agreed.
After acceptance @ ICFO
Staff of the ICFO Human Resources and Education Unit will assist new ICFO members with the following procedures:
- Support with administrative and legal matters related to arriving and settling in, including immigration formalities (Visa application process, etc.) and personal assistance in relocation.
- Particularly for PhD-students: Information and advice on the necessary academic documentation to be gathered and submitted for enrollment in the PhD in Photonics program, including information about how to legalize previous studies (e.g. BSc, MSc, etc.) whenever necessary, as well as registration to the doctorate program and academic planning.
ICFO’s applicant database
The applicant database and all applications received through ICFOjobs, are managed by the staff of ICFO’s Human Resources and Education Unit. All information is handled with due confidentiality and solely for the purpose mentioned, and will be made available to the members of the Selection Committee in so far as they are necessary for the management of the process.
As indicated through the application process, other relevant information is also gathered for statistical purposes or in order to verify the eligibility requirements indicated in the corresponding call.
Do I have to submit my application exclusively online or may I also submit a hard copy?
ICFO only accepts applications submitted online via the ICFOjobs interface. As an exception, and only in case of force-majeure problems with electronic submission, candidates may submit their application in hard copy within the deadline.
Is it possible to apply for more than one opening? May I apply even if I have been considered for an ICFO opening in the past (i.e., re-application)?
Yes.
Do I receive a confirmation acknowledging reception of my application?
Yes.
Is it possible to update my personal data or application material? Likewise, will I be able to delete my application (and therefore all personal data)?
In the first step of application, through the online application form, you will have to provide your personal data including your contact e-mail. Once submitted, you will receive an acknowledging e-mail, containing a link which you have to follow in order to continue with the procedure (submission of application material, etc.). Via the link you receive by e-mail, you will also be able to update your data and application material (within the established deadlines) or even to withdraw your application.
In case of questions - whom shall I contact for help in submitting my application?
Please contact the recruiting staff of ICFO’s Human Resources at jobs@icfo.eu.
Particularly for PhD- and Postdoctoral openings: Is it possible to apply even if I have not yet finished the minimum academic qualification required?
Yes, unless the call explicitly indicates otherwise, but please indicate this clearly in your presentation letter. In general, candidates should hold an internationally-recognized degree or evidence of its completion before the prospective starting date.
Applications need to be supported by reference letters. How should these be submitted?
For exact details on how to proceed with reference letters, please check the specific opening you are applying for. In general, you will be requested to indicate name, institution, contact data, and relationship in the last part of the online application form. Depending on the opening, referees will be automatically contacted by ICFO requesting them to complete a standardized evaluation form and submit a letter of support for the candidates. Candidates should by no means submit a reference letter in support of their own candidature on behalf of their referees.
Submission of academic transcripts and degrees?
The required documentation to be submitted for application is indicated in the ‘application process’ of each opening. In general, ICFO will ask that you provide a copy of your most recent academic degree certificate. Additionally, and particularly for fellowships and internship positions, ICFO will also need you to submit scanned copies of your academic transcripts (current and previous studies). The academic transcripts contain the list of courses, including the credits and marks obtained. Provisional degree certificates are generally accepted by ICFO.
The application form requires the indication of my GPA – what shall I indicate?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average. Apart from other criteria, selection for ICFO positions, above all for fellowships and internships, is measured in terms of the academic performance. In this regard, ICFO needs an indication of the average of your final overall grade obtained in your studies (stated in your transcripts), the minimum grade required to pass in your university and the maximum grade that can be achieved or the overall qualification obtained in your PhD-studies (for applicants with a PhD-degree).
Retrieve your application
Contact
You can write an email to Human Resources and Education at ICFO.