Certificado R3 — Investigador/a Establecido/a

Certificado R3

Offers career-advancement recognition for established researchers demonstrating sustained excellence to strengthen real-world implementation.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Certificado R3 2026, issued by Spain's Agencia Estatal de Investigación, is a national academic certification that formally recognises postdoctoral researchers as investigadores establecidos (established researchers) under Law 14/2011 as amended by Law 17/2022. It is not a cash award; it is a merit credential that functions within Spanish public hiring processes at universities, OPIs, National Health System centres, biomedical research foundations, and public consortia. Holders of the R3 certificate receive recognition that can exempt them from, or compensate for, specific evaluation phases in stable-employment selection processes.

To be eligible, applicants must have obtained their PhD before 1 January 2021. They must also demonstrate a minimum postdoctoral track record meeting at least one of three thresholds: two years under an acceso contract (Article 22 of Law 14/2011), three years under another postdoctoral modality funded by a Spanish public agent, or five cumulative years of postdoctoral employment including periods abroad. Additionally, applicants must evidence at least two cumulative years of pre- or postdoctoral stays at institutions other than the one where their PhD was conducted; this mobility requirement is waived for foreign-PhD holders and researchers with a recognised disability of 33% or more. Candidates already holding a permanent academic post, or in possession of an existing R3 or I3 certificate, are excluded. Applications are submitted via the AEI with a CVA (abridged curriculum vitae) and a memoria de trayectoria investigadora. The 2026 submission window ran 19 May to 9 June 2026 at 14:00 peninsular time.

Evaluation is conducted by AEI against criteria defined in Annex III.5 of Orden CIN/1025/2022. The pass threshold requires a total score of at least 80 points with at least 30 points on Criterion 2, which addresses research quality and output. Applicants who applied in 2025, scored at least 60 points, but did not receive the certificate may reapply. R3 certification is strategically valuable for postdoctoral researchers targeting permanent positions in the Spanish public research system.