Obtaining an official accreditation of merits is a prerequisite to applying for tenure positions at Spanish universities(1). The accreditation is issued by ANECA or regional bodies. Accreditations by ANECA are valid throughout Spain, while those by regional bodies give access only to positions in the same region.
Some tenure positions are reserved for researchers who have previously obtained a R3 certification(2).
There are two different types of procedures, which give access to tenure faculty positions at Spanish universities:
Teacher Evaluation Procedure for Recruitment (PEP): for accreditation for positions as contracted staff, that is, Profesor Permanente Laboral (Associate Professor) and Profesor de Universidad Privada (Private University Professor).
ACADEMIA Programme: for accreditation for positions as civil servant, that is, Profesor Titular (Associate Professor) and Catedrático (Full Professor).
Important issues to take into account when applying:
The call is permanently open.
Resolution time can last 6 months.
If the accreditation is denied, the next application cannot be sent until 6 months after receiving the notification.
It is not necessary to have a recognized PhD title in the Spanish system to obtain the accreditation if you have done your PhD abroad. However, the accreditation will not be valid until the recognition of the equivalence of the doctoral degree.
Professors from universities in EU Member States:
Applicants for certification of having reached a position equivalent to that of Profesor Titular (Associate Professor) and Catedrático (Full Professor) in a university in a European Union Member State must submit to ANECA the application for certification (in triplicate) in accordance with the official template, addressed to the Director of the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA) in accordance with the following procedure (in Spanish). More info here.
These accreditations are only valid for positions of contracted staff in the same region where they are issued. Both Catalonia and the Basque Country have their own kind of positions. In the rest of Spain, positions as contracted staff mean Profesor Permanente Laboral (Associate Professor) and Profesor de Universidad Privada (Private University Professor).
There are two different types of procedures, which give access to tenure faculty positions at Catalan universities (no civil servant):
Accreditation of research: for Agregado (Associate Professor).
Accreditation of advanced research: for Catedrático (Full Professor).
Important issues to take into account when applying:
The call is permanently open.
At least three years of research experience after the PhD defence are required.
There is a unique procedure for the different tenure positions at Basque universities (no civil servant):
Accreditation of the teaching staff: for Profesorado agregado (Associate Professor) and Profesorado pleno (Full Professor), Profesorado de investigación (Research Professor) and Profesor de universidad privada (Private University Professor).
Important issues to take into account when applying:
The call opens once per year (last call was in February 2024).
At least three years of research experience after the PhD defence are required for Profesorado agregado.
There exist procedures for accreditation as Profesor Permanente Laboral (Associate Professor) and Profesor de Universidad Privada (Private University Professor) by other quality assurance agencies operating in Spain. A list of them can be found here.
R3 certification allows the participation in recruitment processes in which only R3-certified researchers can apply. It recognizes the quality and independence of the researcher's work. .
Important issues to take into account when applying:
At least five years of research experience after the PhD defence are required, with at least two years dissociated from the institution where the PhD degree was obtained and having enjoyed some competitive fellowship, experience aborad or similar.
For those researchers who have obtained a national or regional competitive fellowship, the funding bodies of the programmes will evaluate their research performance. After receiving a positive evaluation, researchers can obtain an R3 certification as long as the evaluation criteria fulfilled a standard. The National Funding Agency is responsible for setting up the standard criteria.
In all other cases, researchers need to apply for an annual opening call of evaluation led by the National Funding Agency. This usually opens in the first trimester of the year.
(1) Up to 2023, there used to be another accreditation level for non-tenured positions.
(2) Previously known as I3 certification, it used to be reserved for Ramón y Cajal fellows.