The Basque Government has published a new call for Ikertalen scholarships for the agriculture and food sector

The Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Government has approved the regulatory basis for the Ikertalent program and issued the 2026 call to train researchers and technologists in the agricultural, fishing, and food sectors. The Order of October 27, 2026, signed by Commissioner Amaya Barredo Martín, was published in issue number 213 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on November 6, 2026. The Order provides for ten pre-doctoral grants and eight technologist grants, with a total funding of 1,840,900 euros.

New framework for agro-food research training

The Department has offered these types of training grants since the 1980s, but has now updated and strengthened the existing bases. The new bases are linked to Law 14/2011 (Science, Technology and Innovation) and Royal Decree 103/2019 (statute for pre-doctoral researchers), and the grants are integrated into the Strategic Plan for Subsidies for the 2026-2028 period, within the “Primary Sector and Fisheries” axis.

The call is financed from the budget credits approved by Law 7/2025 for 2026. The Order establishes two lines of support: the training of pre-doctoral researchers, on one hand, and the training of technologists, on the other, both in R&D+i projects in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, and food in the Basque Country.

Ten doctoral projects and eight technologist projects

The doctoral line includes grants for ten specific projects, covering the following topics:

• Natural immunostimulants in livestock as antibiotic substitutes (Neiker, Derio).
• Genomic prediction for fisheries management and adaptation to climate change (Azti).
• Analysis of blue carbon sinks on the Basque coast (Azti).
• Surveillance of emerging vector-borne diseases (Neiker).
• Planning oceanographic campaigns with autonomous underwater vehicles (Azti).
• Digitalization of sustainable biorefinery processes to reduce food waste (Azti).
• “Gaztomics”: microbial terroir and autochthonous yeasts of artisanal cheeses (Leartiker Dairy Center).
• Monitoring of the Candidatus phytoplasma solani disease in potatoes (Neiker, Arkaute).
• Effect of the probiotic Bacillus coagulans in the prevention of obesity (University of the Basque Country, Faculty of Pharmacy of Álava).
• Biodegradable films derived from seaweed waste for food packaging (University of the Basque Country, School of Engineering of Gipuzkoa).

The technologist line consists of eight projects, including phages in the biocontrol of pathogens, forest health monitoring, control of crop pests in a climate change scenario, avian influenza and the contamination chain among fauna, methane emissions from ruminants, the “Gas-Kal” project for cheese quality, bio-based materials for marine applications (“Learblue”), and advanced digitalization of food processes.

Amounts and duration

In the case of pre-doctoral grants, the gross payments increase year by year: 22,000 euros in the first year, 23,000 in the second, 25,000 in the third, and 31,500 in the fourth. Additionally, the complementary training is 2,000 euros per year (8,000 in total), and a compensation of 4,200 euros is foreseen at the end of the fourth year.

The contracts will last for a maximum of four years, with the calendar being extendable in cases of temporary disability or parental status. The technologists’ grant, on the other hand, is in the form of a subsidy for two years, with a gross annual amount of 17,000 euros and a complementary training grant of 1,000 euros.

Where the research will be carried out

There are four host centers where the grants will be developed, and the funds will be directed to them, distributed according to the beneficiaries: the University of the Basque Country, Neiker-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, the Azti Foundation, and Leartiker S. Coop. The acceptable qualifications and fields of study for each project have also been established, requiring 300 ECTS credits for the doctorate.

Who can apply and what the deadline is

The main requirements for applying are being a natural person, being registered in a municipality of the Basque Autonomous Community from January 1, 2026, onwards, and having completed undergraduate studies in June 2021 or later, with special cases (MIR or FIR specialties, care of minors, or a disability of 33% or more).

In the technologist line, a higher-level Vocational Training degree or a degree that grants access to a master’s is accepted. Applications must be submitted electronically within a one-month period, starting from the day after publication, no more than six months prior. Each person may choose a maximum of five projects, in order of preference, and selection is made through a merit assessment of 25 points and an interview of 10 points.

The importance of the call is not measured solely by quantity: the aid strengthens the innovation foundation of the primary sector, ensuring there is no lack of researchers in fields without doctorates, and supports the competitiveness and digital transformation of the food industry. Thus, by financing R&D+i projects in the agriculture, fishing, and food sectors, the Order takes a step toward rooting and internationalizing the Basque science system.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, issue 213, November 6, 2026, Otras Disposiciones, pp. 1-36 (official reference: 2026/4703).