The Comparative Minds research group at the Universitat de Girona (Girona, Spain) aims to sponsor a candidate for an Inphinit Predoctoral Retaining Fellowship, a competitive call for predoctoral fellowships awarded by the La Caixa (see last year’s call here).

Sponsorship summary: 

The selected candidate will apply jointly with Dr. Thomas Castelain, co-PI of the Comparative Minds research group, for an InPhinit Predoctoral Retaining Fellowship (La Caixa). If awarded, the candidate will be enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Psychology, Health, and Quality of Life at the University of Girona. The PhD student will take part in an ongoing interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of linguistics, human development, and cross-cultural psychology, focusing on multimodal communication in early childhood. Deadline for application: 14/11/2025.

Project summary: 

The PhD student will join an on-ongoing research project on multimodal communication in early childhood, with a specific focus on the role of gestures in peer interactions and the impact of culture in its developement. The thesis will investigate how children between 3 and 6 years old, from different cultures, use gestures when communicating with peers, and how their gestural repertoires (frequency, types, and integration with speech) evolve during this critical stage of social and linguistic development.

Job description:

The successful candidate is expected to develop original studies under the supervision and guidance of the PI and will be involved in developing and running observational and experimental studies, codifying, analyzing data, and disseminating the results in scientific conferences (oral presentations/posters) and peer-reviewed journals.

PI and research group: 

The selected candidate will join the Comparative Minds research group under the direct supervision of Dr. Thomas Castelain. Comparative Minds is an interdisciplinary research group within the Department of Psychology at the University of Girona bringing together diverse fields such as, Comparative Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Linguistics. Its research aims to address some of the fundamental questions concerning behavior, cognition, and communication, both in non-human animals and in humans. The successful candidate will become part of a dynamic and supportive research community where their growth truly matters. They will receive close, personalized supervision to guide them through their research and dissertation, while also gaining valuable training and professional skills to strengthen their academic profile and expand future career opportunities.

1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION

• Position: PhD student
• Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1- up to the point of PhD)
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Location:  Spain > Girona
• Founding source: La Caixa Inphinit
• Grant: INPhINIT Retaining Fellowships Programme
• Research Field: Psychology > Language, Human Development, Culture
• Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary, maximum duration 4 years
• Job Status: Full-time
• Hours per week: 35
• Starting date: Fall 2026 (specific dates to be confirmed by the official La Caixa announcement)
• Application deadline: 14/11/2025
  

2. CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Elegibility:

• Young researchers of any nationality are eligible to apply for the Doctoral INPhINIT Retaining Fellowship Programme.
• Candidates must have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the 3 years immediately preceding the closing date of the call.
• Candidates must not have carried our more than four years of research activity before the closing date of the call (to be announced, but approximately second fortnight of February 2026).
• At the time of recruitment, candidates must have completed the studies that allow them to enroll in an official PhD programme in Spain/Portugal. The verification of the required level of studies will be carried out by the host university when the admission procedure begins.
• Candidates cannot have started doctoral studies prior to the start of the fellowship.

Required skills:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• A university degree (Bachelor’s) in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Linguistics, Education or related field
• A minimum of 300 ECTS, 60 of which should correspond to Master’s degree level

Desirable skills:

• Experience in conducting developemental or psycholinguistic research
• Prior experience in qualitative (i.e., ELAN software) or quantitative research methods will be an asset.
  

3. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: 

• 25.000€ gross annual salary
• Additional 3.500€ are provided to cover other research costs such as conferences, courses, research stays and tuition fees to the doctoral program.
• The PI will provide additional financial support to cover fieldwork-related costs.
  

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Language policy:

• The corporative language at the center is Catalan and Spanish
• Knowledge of Spanish and/or Catalan will be an asset for this particular position, but it is not required
• The center provides initial level Catalan lessons to all the international staff members
• The interview will be conducted in English or Spanish
  

5. APPLICATION PROCESS

Submission of the application and documentation:

Interested candidates are invited to send their CV and a brief research statement (maximum 2 pages) describing their research interests and previous experience (if any), as well as contact data of 1-2 referees to Dr. Thomas Castelain (comparativeminds@udg.edu) by 14/11/2025.

Timeline:

• Deadline for application: 14/11/2025
  
• Interviews: 19/11/2025-26/11/2025
  
• Final decision: 28/11/2025

The selected candidate will be invited to apply for an Inhipinit Retaining Predoctoral Fellowship. The Comparative Minds team will support the selected candidate within the application process.

Contact details for enquiries:  

For inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the project and the research group please contact: comparativeminds@udg.edu