Offer Description
Applications are invited by the University of Alicante President to create a pre-shortlist of candidates for the recruitment of research staff (contract type: fixed-term contract; job category: pre-doctoral researcher) to collaborate with the project “Smart Sustainability: design and testing of a governance model for the sustainable transition of coastal tourist destinations” of the University Institute for Tourism Research. Reference: I-PI 63-26
Pursuant to the provisions on the regulations governing calls for applications of research staff to cover a contractual research position, approved by the Governing Council of 29 June 2021 (BOUA of 30 June 2021) and with instructions of the University of Alicante Offices of the Registrar and the Comptroller, which establish the mandatory use of electronic means for the submission of applications, documentation, payment of fees, communications, notifications and all other procedures of the selection procedures for the temporary contractual administrative and services staff and research staff and other general applicable regulations, the University of Alicante calls for applications in accordance with the following terms:
First. General terms.
1.1. Purpose of the call
The purpose of this call is to create a pre-shortlist of candidates for the recruitment of research staff (job category: pre-doctoral researcher) for the project “Smart Sustainability: design and testing of a governance model for the sustainable transition of coastal tourist destinations”.
The project in which the successful applicant(s) will collaborate, as well as the number of available vacancies and the characteristics of the job role, are set out in the annex I hereto.
1.2. Talent pool creation and contacting candidates in the pool
The panel in charge of the recruitment process may decide to create a talent pool including candidates whose applications were unsuccessful. In such a case, the panel may set a minimum score for candidates to be placed in the pool. The pool will list candidates in descending order of score. Candidates in the pool may be contacted if a successful applicant does not accept the position offered or, after accepting it, is on a temporary leave of absence, resigns or is dismissed at any point during the first two years of the grant period. If candidates are offered a position, they will be contacted in the order listed in the pool.
1.3. Gender representation (relevant in the event of a tie)
In accordance with the provisions of the agreement of the Governing Council of 27 January 2022, which approves the University of Alicante 4th Plan for equal opportunities between women and men, and with article 61.2. f) of Valencia Government Law 4/2021, of 16 April, of the Valencian Civil Service it is hereby stated that the percentage distribution in the contractual job vacancies of pre-doctoral researcher for research projects is 49.03% for women and 50.97% for men, so there is no under-representation of either sex in this job category.
Second. Requirements for applicants.
Compliance with the requirements listed below must always refer to the date of expiry of the deadline for the submission of applications and must be maintained until the date of entering into the contract. Applicants must:
2.1. General requirements
- 2.1.1. Be a Spanish national or be in one of the situations listed in article 57 of Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015, of 30 October, which approves the revised text of the Act on the Basic Statute of Public Employees (BOE of 31 October). In the case established in point 4 of this article, when entering into the employment contract, the successful applicant must be a legal resident in Spain.
- 2.1.2. Have a good command of any of the official languages of the Valencia Region for the performance of the job.
- 2.1.3. Be at least 16 years of age and not exceed the maximum compulsory retirement age.
- 2.1.4. Possess the physical and mental capacities and aptitudes that are necessary for the performance of the corresponding functions or tasks.
- 2.1.5. Not have been dismissed, following disciplinary proceedings, from the service of public administrations, public universities or constitutional or statutory bodies, nor have been totally or specially disqualified from public service by a court decision. Nationals of another state must not be under disqualification or equivalent status, nor have been subjected to a disciplinary or equivalent sanction that prevents, under the same terms, access to public service in the relevant state.
2.2. Specific requirements
- 2.2.1. Hold or be in the process of obtaining a former second-cycle undergraduate degree (including engineering and architecture studies) of at least 300 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits, or an undergraduate degree (Spanish MECES level 2 or EQF level 6) plus an official Master’s degree (Spanish MECES level 3 or EQF level 7). Applicants who are not in possession of the degree certificate must provide proof of payment of the diploma issuing fee or submit an academic certificate stating that they have completed all the studies leading to the award of said certificate.
- 2.2.2. Qualifications gained abroad
Have a document (if the required qualification was obtained overseas) confirming that the relevant official approval or statement of comparability has been secured.
In the event of qualifications for which the relevant official approval, statement of comparability or recognition has not been secured by the application deadline, the following will apply:
· The applicant will be required to present evidence that, prior to entering into the contract, they have initiated the official approval, comparability or recognition process.
· When a statement of comparability is submitted, it must be accompanied by the qualification certificate and the academic transcript on which the statement of comparability is based, in order to determine whether the relevant qualifications are indeed equivalent. - 2.2.3. Meet the academic requirements necessary for admission to a PhD programme (Spanish MECES level 4 or EQF level 8) offered by the University of Alicante or jointly supervised by the University of Alicante. Proof of admission to such a doctoral programme must be submitted, at the latest, when entering into the contract.
- 2.2.4. Not hold a PhD awarded by a Spanish or foreign university.
2.3. Obligation to meet all requirements throughout the recruitment process
If an applicant, at any point during and before the completion of the recruitment process, no longer meets all the necessary conditions, they will be required to file a request to withdraw from the process. Otherwise, as soon as it is detected that they do not comply with all the requirements, they will be excluded from the process.
Third. Submission of applications.
3.1. Application period and procedure
Candidates must submit their applications via the University of Alicante e-Services Portal (https://seuelectronica.ua.es/)--Trámites [‘Procedures’]--Procesos selectivos y de provisión [‘Recruitment processes’]--Solicitud de plazas de personal investigador para proyectos de investigación [‘Applying for research staff positions on research projects’] or by accessing the following link: https://s.ua.es/_MZz. Applications submitted through other channels will not be accepted.
3.2. Logging into the application platform (applicants with login credentials)
To apply, candidates will be required to log in using a digital certificate, their Cl@ve system credentials or their University of Alicante username and password.
3.3. Logging into the application platform (foreign applicants without login credentials)
If the applicant is unable to access the application form by any of the above means and is not a Spanish national, they will have to request their login credentials by sending an email to seleccion.pi@ua.es, with “Solicitud de credenciales de acceso para personas extranjeras” [meaning ‘Request for login credentials for foreigners’] as the email subject. The email must contain the following information: a) reference code of the relevant call for applications; b) name and surnames; c) ID number; and d) email address (to which the login credentials will be sent). They must also attach a copy of a valid ID or passport.
Candidates are advised to submit their request at least two working days before the application deadline to ensure timely receipt and processing.
3.4. Notifications and veracity of information
The electronic means to be used in the application process will be those specified on the UA e-Services Portal. The Guide on how to apply for research staff positions on research projects, available on the website of the UA Recruitment Service (link to the guide: https://s.ua.es/es/27NC) contains all information relating to the application process.
Whenever a decision or other documents relating to the recruitment process are published on the candidate’s electronic file, an email will be sent to the address provided in the application. This email is for information purposes only and does not replace the relevant notification (to be carried out in accordance with section 8 of the call for applications) under any circumstances.
By submitting their application, candidates confirm that the information provided in the application is true and that they meet all the requirements set out in the call for applications. They also undertake to provide proof that the information contained in the application is true and correct.
3.5. Documentation to be provided (holders of foreign qualifications)
Holders of a foreign qualification must provide both the official qualification certificate and the official academic transcript, in order to determine whether the qualification is indeed equivalent to the required qualification and/or the one to be considered for the merit-based assessment.
3.6. Documents submitted in a foreign language
Any supporting documents submitted in a language other than those with official status in the Valencia Region must be accompanied by a sworn translation. Otherwise, said supporting documents may be excluded or not considered.
3.7. Obligation to present proof of achievements and verification of original documents
Achievements for which no valid proof has been provided by the deadline for candidates to correct their applications after publication of the provisional list of accepted and rejected candidates (fourth section of the call) will not be taken into account.
At any point during the process, candidates may be required to present the originals of the submitted documents and, where applicable, the sworn translation of said documents.
Fourth. List of accepted and rejected candidates
Verification of compliance with requirements and grounds for exclusion
If at any point during the recruitment process the panel becomes aware that a candidate does not meet all the requirements set out herein, and once said candidate has been heard, the panel will propose to the University President that the candidate be excluded from the process. In order to ensure that the appropriate measures are taken, the panel will also specify the inaccurate or false information provided by the candidate in their application. Should the candidate be excluded from the recruitment process, they may file an appeal for the decision to be reviewed by the University President.
Sixth. Selection system
6.1. Selection system
Merit-based assessment. The assessment panel will examine the achievements listed on the applicant’s CV. The specific assessment criteria, to be previously agreed by the panel, will be in line with the following criteria and sub-criteria:
- Criterion 1. Applicant’s academic and/or scientific-technical career (maximum 50 points).
- Sub-criterion 1.1. Scientific-technical contributions (maximum 45 points). The applicant’s academic record and other training and research achievements will be considered, also taking into account whether these are related to the tasks to be carried out in view of the applicant’s qualifications and professional experience.
- Sub-criterion 1.2. Mobility and internationalisation (maximum 5 points). Research visits at national and international centres and/or in the industrial sector, with a focus on the relevance and impact these visits had on the applicant’s research career. The prestige of the host entity and the activity carried out there will be taken into account.
- Criterion 2. Applicant’s suitability for the research work to be undertaken (maximum 50 points). The applicant’s suitability for the research programme, project or activities to be conducted will be assessed based on their qualifications and prior experience. For this, the panel will take into account the added value the project will bring to the applicant’s research career, to the host centre and to the host team.
6.2. Talent pool
The panel may decide to create a talent pool including candidates whose applications were unsuccessful, in accordance with section 1.2 of this call for applications.
ANNEX I
PURPOSE OF CALL I-PI 63-26 AND JOB PROFILE
This contract is part of the grant for the research project with reference code PID2025-172736NB-I00, awarded by the Spanish State Research Agency and funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF-EU and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
This grant is awarded under the 2025 scheme (approved in accordance with the procedure for the accelerated implementation of funding programmes) to conduct Knowledge Generation Projects and pre-doctoral research staff training actions associated with said projects, regulated by Order CIN/1025/2022, of 27 October, and its amendments (Order CNU/1459/2023, of 26 December, and Order CNU/307/2024, of 4 April), in the framework of the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024-2027.
1. Project in which the successful applicant will collaborate:
1.1. Name of the project: “Smart Sustainability: design and testing of a governance model for the sustainable transition of coastal tourist destinations”.
1.2. Reference: PID2025-172736NB-I00.
1.3. Funding agency: Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and Spanish State Research Agency.
1.4. Co-funding agency: European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
1.5. Dept. / Institute: University Institute for Tourism Research.
2. Number of vacancies and features of the job vacancy.
2.1. Entering into the employment contract, as well as its terms and conditions, will be subject to the receipt of the funding for the project from the relevant agencies, i.e. the Spanish State Research Agency, MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF-EU and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
2.2. Number of job vacancies: one.
2.3. Job position: pre-doctoral researcher under a pre-doctoral contract in accordance with Article 21 of Spanish Act 14/2011, of 1 June, and Spanish Royal Decree 103/2019, of 1 March.
2.4. Working hours: 37.5 hours/week in morning/afternoon sessions.
2.5. Remuneration: €2,121.34 gross/monthly (each monthly payment includes the amount corresponding to the extra payment for that month), as well as any salary increases approved by law for each year.
In any case, the remuneration amounts may not be less than 75% of the salary set for the equivalent categories in the relevant collective bargaining agreements for any of the applicable years; nor may it be less than the minimum interprofessional wage established each year, in accordance with Article 27 of the Recast Version of the Workers’ Statue Law. When establishing the above amounts, the reference threshold will be the category corresponding to Professional Group M3 of contractual staff, as per the salary table contained in the single agreement for contractual staff of the Spanish National Public Administration.
2.6. Duration of the contract: maximum 4 years.
2.7. This contractual research position also covers research visits undertaken by the selected candidate at R&D centres and enrolment fees in doctoral studies at the University of Alicante, in accordance with the provisions and amounts specified in Article 12, 13 and 14 of the Order approving the funding programme, for the year 2025, for “Knowledge Generation Projects” and pre-doctoral research staff training actions associated with these projects, in the framework of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024-2027.
2.8. Tasks to be carried out:
The successful applicant will collaborate in the project “Smart Sustainability: design and testing of a governance model for the sustainable transition of coastal tourist destinations (PID2025-172736NB-I00)” by carrying out research tasks and undertaking doctoral training in the area of Tourism to pursue a doctoral thesis within the scope of the aforementioned project.
Third. Job profile.
The achievements to be considered in the merit-based assessment will be those relevant to the criteria set out in section 6 of the call for applications, as long as they are related to:
3.1. Tourist destination planning processes.
3.2. Quantitative and qualitative techniques and methods for tourist destination planning (surveys; in-depth interviews; spatial analysis using geographic information systems; advanced data analysis).
3.3. Knowledge of English.
3.4. Official qualifications:
– Undergraduate degree in Tourism or in Geography and Land Planning (Spanish MECES level 2 or EQF level 6), or any other degree with equivalent content.
– Master’s degree in Tourism Management and Planning (Spanish MECES level 3 or EQF level 7) or any other Master’s degree with equivalent content.
Please note that you must use the University of Alicante’s CV template for recruitment processes for pre-doctoral researchers, in the framework of the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024–2027, which is available on the University website: https://s.ua.es/es/NfIo
The template can be downloaded in
Spanish: https://s.ua.es/es/NfFs
English: https://s.ua.es/es/NfF3
It must be attached in the “Modelo de CV” [“CV template”] section.
Full terms and conditions of this call can be found at the following link (IN SPANISH): https://dogv.gva.es/datos/2026/09/02/pdf/2026_26094_es.pdf
Not a civil servant
This is a Preview Listing…
You must sign in to see the full job description, and to apply.
Manage / Upgrade this job to a Full Job Listing.
Find Your Best Opportunity
Tell them AcademicJobs.com sent you!