The PhD Training Programme
The CRG’s International PhD Programme is designed to give you the tools, support, and confidence to grow as the independent scientist of tomorrow. Structured over four years, it combines rigorous scientific training with personalised mentoring and the development of transferable and innovation skills.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND MILESTONES
Your PhD journey is designed to help you grow as an independent researcher and as a person, while preparing you for a wide range of future careers. From the moment you begin, you will be part of a vibrant and international scientific community that supports your development through structured milestones, regular feedback, and a broad training portfolio.
Throughout the programme, the Training and Academic Office and your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meet with you annually to review your progress and provide guidance on both your research and career development. At the CRG, training is a core value. While your main focus will be on your science, making time for workshops, networking, and reflection is not a distraction; it is an essential part of a better researcher. These experiences strengthen your work, enrich your PhD journey, and open doors to diverse and fulfilling career paths.
At the CRG, career development is not a separate extracurricular activity, it’s a personal journey of learning, reflection and growth.
During the first year, you will define your research project, complete a month-long induction training (PhD course). During this course you will get to know the PhD community as well as get an overview of science, technologies and facilities that will be available for you during the PhD. You will also receive training on research integrity and ethics, data management, creativity, critical reading, scientific publishing, as well as how to be proactive and align your expectations with the Principal Investigator. You will also begin attending seminars by internationally renowned scientists, share your project ideas and early data in lab meetings, data clubs, and inter-programme challenge seminars, and present your progress to your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).
This phase is about laying the foundations of your scientific identity: learning to ask meaningful questions, communicate your ideas, and engage with the community around you.
In the second year, you will be deeply focused on advancing your research project and deepen your expertise through specific scientific and transferable skills courses. You will present your work as a poster at the CRG PhD Symposium and meet your TAC to discuss your scientific and professional progress. This is also the moment to start broadening your perspective: building networks, exploring career options, and strengthening your research profile as an independent scientist.
In the third year, you will give a talk and presenting your work at the CRG PhD symposium. You will also meet with your (TAC) for your annual progress evaluation, reflecting together on how your skills, results, and ambitions are aligning. This year is not just about completing experiments, it is also about consolidating your identity as a researcher and envisioning where your PhD can take you next.
In your final year, you will concentrate on planning and writing your thesis, and you will meet your TAC one last time to review your progress and ensure you are fully supported as you prepare for the next step, whether continuing in academia or exploring opportunities beyond it.
SUPERVISION AND MENTORING
Each PhD student at the CRG is supported by a network of people and structures designed to guide them throughout their doctoral journey. Your primary supervisor will be your day-to-day mentor in the lab, helping you develop skills, refine your project, and grow as an independent scientist. Alongside this, the TAC, made up of three faculty members meets, will regularly review your progress, provide feedback, and ensure you stay focused.
Support also comes from your peers: the PhD student community is active and well-organized, with elected representatives who connect directly with the Graduate Committee to make sure student perspectives are heard. Finally, the Training & Academic Office acts as a dedicated point of contact throughout your PhD, coordinating the programme, organizing career development activities, monitoring your progression, and offering confidential advice and mediation whenever you need it.
INTEGRATED CAREER DEVELOPMENT
A PhD at the CRG opens doors to a wide variety of opportunities, within academia and beyond. From the beginning, career development is build into your journey. You’ll be able to attend talks a with alumni and invited professionals from diverse fields such as academia, biotech, pharma, policy, and science communication, gaining first-hand insights into different career paths, helping you expand your professional connections. Finally, tailored workshops on innovation, proposal writing and leadership will equip you with the tools and confidence to shape the career path that best fits your ambitions.
Presenting your work and building networks are an essential part of your training as a scientist. At the CRG, you’ll be encouraged and funded to attend national and international conferences, particularly in the later stages of your PhD, so you can showcase your research to the wider scientific community.
Within the institute, our annual CRG PhD Symposium and pre-Graduation ceremony is a highlight of the training calendar and a cornerstone of community life. The symposium brings together the entire CRG to celebrate and support the next generation of researchers. It gives PhD students a platform to share their science, sharpen their communication skills, and gain feedback from colleagues across disciplines.
- Second-year students present their projects in poster sessions, creating lively exchanges with postdocs and peers. These sessions double as training grounds for larger international conferences, helping students learn how to improve their posters, interact with an audience, and make the most of networking opportunities.
- Third-year students deliver short talks, presenting the central question of their thesis and the strategies they are developing to answer it. Constructive feedback from CRG faculty helps refine both research direction and presentation style.
- The closing session is dedicated to students completing their PhDs, combining motivational talks from invited speakers with a celebration of their achievements. The day concludes with a lively party, where students, postdocs, faculty, and staff come together to mark milestones, share experiences, and create lasting memories.
ANNUAL PHD RETREAT
As part of the training programme, every summer, the CRG PhD community gathers for its annual retreat. This is a chance to step away from the lab and connect in a relaxed, inspiring setting. The retreat blends science with wellbeing: students present their work, exchange ideas across disciplines, and take part in workshops led by the Training & Academic Office (TAO) on themes such as supervision, stress management, and burnout prevention.
Equally important is the informal side: social activities, outdoor events, and spontaneous conversations that help strengthen the bonds between students. For many, the retreat is a highlight of the year, helping to broaden perspectives, and to feel part of a supportive community that extends far beyond the lab bench.
HOW TO JOIN THE CRG PHD PROGRAMME
There are currently several ways to become a CRG PhD student:
- The CRG International PhD Call. This is our flagship annual call, launched every September/October, is the main entry point and the best way to compete for fully funded positions across our research groups.
- Individual CRG Admission Interview. If you are a Master’s students already training at the CRG you cannot apply through the international call, but if a Principal Investigator (PI) has an opening, a position may be offered after a successful interview with a panel of non-recruiting Principal Investigators at our institute.
- External fellowships. Many of our students also join through prestigious international fellowship schemes such as la Caixa INPhINIT, MSCA Doctoral Networks, and others.
Every CRG PhD student is required to register with a university doctoral programme, typically at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and comply with the university’s admission criteria.