Evaluation phases and criteria

The selection process consists of three consecutive phases:

PHASE 1 - ELEGIBILITY:

All applications are reviewed to check the accomplishment of the eligibility criteria published in the rules for participation.

PHASE 2 – PRE-SELECTION:

Each eligible application is assessed remotely for at lest two evaluators with relevant experience in the same discipline. The criteria governing the evaluation in this phase are as follows:

1. Academic record and curriculum vitae (weight 50 %): the candidate's qualifications will be evaluated as well as the academic and/or professional curriculum in relation to the career stage and the opportunities they may have had.

2. Motivation and statement of purpose (weight 30 %): the excellence of the ideas introduced in the statement of purpose will be assessed, considering their originality, innovative approach and their potential impact as well as the suitability of the host institution chosen and the studies or research to pursue.

3. Reference letters (weight 20 %): the reference letters received will be assessed, considering both the specificity of their content regarding the candidates as well as the profile of the referees.

PHASE 3 – PERSONAL INTERVIEWS:

Preselected candidates are invited to a personal interview before a multidisciplinary committee, which evaluates them according to the criteria listed below:

1. Candidate's potential (weight 40 %): the candidate's potential will be assessed considering their soft skills, such as clarity, consistent discourse and articulation of ideas, ability to express complex and independent reasoning, originality, entrepreneurship, leadership and teamwork.

2. Motivation and statement of purpose (weight 30 %): the excellence of the ideas introduced in the statement of purpose will be assessed, considering their originality, innovative approach and their potential impact as well as the suitability of the host institution chosen and the studies or research to pursue.

3. Academic and professional background (weight 30 %): academic and professional background of the candidate in relation to the career stage and the opportunities they may have had.

The Fellowships programme collaborates with a large number of experts from different disciplines, who participate yearly in the evaluation of applications. Rigour and transparency in the selection processes are crucial to guarantee the excellence of the fellowships programmes offered. For this reason, it is essential to have a database of experts that is dynamic and constantly being updated with new profiles, both in the academia and in the industry.

If you are interested in being in our database and collaborating as an expert evaluator in future calls, you can contact us by sending an e-mail to fellowships.evaluators@fundaciolacaixa.org together with your CV in PDF format or the link to the website where it can be seen.