Postdoctoral Researchers – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF 2026)

USP‑CEU holds the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award and is strongly committed to attracting and supporting international research talent.

USP‑CEU is a competitive and supportive host institution for MSCA‑PF candidates, with a strong track record including 10 awarded fellowships, an exceptional 100/100 score, and two recent successes in the MSCA‑PF 2025 call. We offer personalised guidance throughout the proposal preparation process, as well as our International Talent Retention Programme, which provides successful MSCA Fellows with an additional 6–12‑month contract to support long‑term career development.

Hosting Research Group

Our research group examines how public policies, financial instruments, development programmes and international financing mechanisms contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We focus on understanding the role of:

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
• Migrant remittances
• Taxation and international transfers
• Official Development Assistance (ODA)
• Other financial flows relevant to human development

Our work is grounded in the human development paradigm shared by the United Nations, analysing how financial systems can generate the “necessary boost” for individuals and communities in developing countries to pursue valuable life projects.

By placing people at the centre of economic and financial decision‑making, our group seeks to:

1. Reduce unjust global inequalities
2. Support transitions toward sustainable and inclusive production systems
3. Promote international financial and fiscal architectures based on shared but differentiated responsibilities
4. Understand how global financial flows can empower countries and individuals with fewer resources

Supervising Professor

José María Larrú Ramos https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6271-3821 is a Professor of Applied Economics with a distinguished career in the fields of development, poverty, inequality, and foreign aid. His academic work examines how international financial flows, public policies, and development instruments contribute to human development and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Relevant publications

• Larrú, J.M. (2026). Aid for the poor: the need for a new marker on Official Development Assistance. Studies on Applied Economics 44(1), 1-26 https://doi.org/10.25115/96x3g461
• Larrú, J.M. (2025). Desorden global y Cooperación Internacional al Desarrollo. Política Exterior 227 (septiembre-octubre) 142-153.
• Larrú, J.M. (2025). La promesa legal de la cooperación española de asignar el 0,7% de la RNB en Ayuda Oficial al Desarrollo en 2030. Una proyección cuantitativa. Revista Internacional de Cooperación y Desarrollo. 12(1), 10-47.
• Larrú, J.M. (2025). Análisis de la AOD española desde los ingresos y gastos públicos por tramos de renta. Revista Iberoamericana De Estudios De Desarrollo = Iberoamerican Journal of Development Studies, 14(2), 114-146. https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_ried/ijds.10479
• Larrú, J.M. & Quesada, C. (2022) Aid, multidimensional poverty and growth: Reversing the micro-macro paradox in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Land 11(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010010

Research Project Description

This project aims to measure the impact of EU Official Development Assistance (ODA) on both irregular migration flows, including asylum seekers, refugees, and economic migrants; and regular migration. Given the projected decrease in ODA and the fact that the U.S. cooperation model has become politicized against migration and transformed into a nationalist instrument, the EU has the opportunity to offer a distinct, value-based model. This differentiation may be characterized by cooperation in regular and orderly migration, co-development, and the strengthening of democratic governance in low- and middle-income countries. The methodology will employ a mixed-methods approach: a quantitative analysis based on instrumental variables, and a qualitative component featuring in-depth interviews to identify bottlenecks and best practices that European aid can provide as an alternative to the current 'Washington Dissent' in development cooperation.

Candidate requirements: Postdoctoral candidates of any nationality (max. 7 years after defense) with:

• PhD in Development Economics; Statistics; Econometrics; Maths
• Strong background on Econometrics or Statistics
• writing academic papers

Applicants are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to larram@ceu.es (Attn.: Larrú Ramos, José María). The application should include the following documents:

• A short CV (Max. 2 pages)
• A one-page research proposal
• A short statement explaining why CEU would be the best host institution for your research.
• Two letters of reference.

For MSCA-PF 26 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (09/09/2026) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain or more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the above mentioned deadline.

Those files received before 15th of June will be considered for MSCA-PF 2026 call. Applications received after this date, will be considered for other calls after discussion with the candidate.

Keywords: Foreign aid, Migration, Democracy, Instrumental variables, Geopolitics