PhD Students
We are one of Europe’s leading biomedical research institutes and one of only ten life-science centres in Spain to hold the prestigious Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation, the highest national distinction for a research institute. Our International PhD programme offers rigorous scientific training, access to world-class facilities, and the chance to be part of a vibrant research community in Barcelona, the most dynamic life sciences hub in the Mediterranean.
With just over 400 people, the CRG is a close-knit, ambitious institute. Our Group Leaders, more than half of whom hold grants from the European Research Council, are organised into four scientific programs: Systems & Synthetic Biology, Computational Biology & Health Genomics, Genome Biology, and Quantitative Cell Biology. This structure creates an interdisciplinary environment where experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches meet, enabling projects at the cutting edge of genomics and quantitative biomedicine. Doing your PhD project at the CRG, you’ll be immersed in research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge in genome regulation, disease mechanisms, AI, synthetic biology, and data-driven biomedicine.
We are international by design. English is our working language, and four in five of our PhD students come from abroad. Around half of the CRG staff are international, representing over 55 nationalities. You’ll join a truly global peer group and build connections that will stay with you throughout your future career, either you decide to stay in academia or elsewhere.
Doing a PhD at CRG means cutting-edge science in an inspiring setting. We are housed in the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), one of the largest life sciences hubs in Southern Europe. This means daily opportunities to attend seminars, exchange ideas, and collaborate with researchers from neighbouring institutes and hospitals.
Our labs overlook the Mediterranean Sea, just steps from the beach and the heart of Barcelona, a vibrant cosmopolitan city known for its creativity, culture, and energy. Beyond the bench, you’ll find a lively student and social community, with a supportive environment where world-class science and a student life go hand in hand.
OUR COMMUNITY
We have more than one hundred students within our community, and they are at the heart of life at our institute. They come from 30 different countries around the world, making our PhD community lively, diverse, and active in and outside the lab. From training and career development opportunities, annual symposia and international retreats to social events, sports, and cultural activities, students create their own networks and shape the scientific culture of our institute. Your voice matters here: student representatives sit on our Graduate Committee, ensuring that feedback and new ideas are heard. Whether through implementing new initiatives, organizing seminars, running social clubs, or simply joining colleagues for volleyball on the beach, being part of the CRG means belonging to a supportive and international community.
PhD PROGRAMME & TRAINING
We open one international PhD call per year, usually in October. This is a four-year journey where scientific research, mentoring and career development go hand in hand; not as separate tracks, but as complementary parts of your growth as an independent scientist. At the CRG, career development is embedded in your PhD experience, supported by your supervisor, thesis advisory committee, and our Training & Academic Office.
Along the way, you will have access to nearly 100 scientific and transversal training activities offered to all our researchers and staff. These opportunities allow you to build your technical expertise, develop transferable skills and strengthen your long term career perspectives and try new ventures. You can choose from advanced courses on genomics, proteomics, imaging, data analysis, programming, ML, AI, statistics as well as workshops on project management, science communication, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. You’ll also receive support to present your work at international conferences and to prepare for careers both inside and beyond academia.
[Find out about our comprehensive PhD programme]
APPLY FOR 2026
The 2026 call is now open. We offer up to 20 fully funded positions across a wide range of CRG research groups. Selected students receive a four-year employment contract with a competitive salary, health and social security coverage, and access to all our training and career development resources.
The admissions process is inclusive, transparent and supportive, with online information sessions to help you prepare a strong application, followed by panel and in-person interviews in Barcelona.
[Apply to the 2026 PhD programme]
TRAINING & ACADEMIC OFFICE
Behind the CRG International PhD programme is a dedicated Training & Academic Office (TAO). This team ensures your progress is well-supported from day one, coordinating your milestones, organizing workshops, and providing advice on training opportunities. The office also organises a one-month-long onboarding PhD course where new students not only get the overview of the science at the institute but also science communication, ethics and integrity, data management, IP, unconscious bias, science communication, publishing landscape, ethical use of Ai and extensive bioinformatics module.
The TAO also serves as a point of contact for wellbeing and career guidance, working closely with student representatives and supervisors to ensure that every student feels supported both personally and professionally.
To contact us, email training@crg.eu