ATRAE Program — Grants to Attract Established Talent (Ayudas para incentivar la incorporación de talento consolidado)

Programa ATRAE is AEI's senior-talent attraction route for bringing internationally recognised researchers into Spanish public research entities. The 2026 call is backed by a 40 million euro budget and belongs to the national human-resources stream. It is designed to help Spain recruit established investigators who have recently built a substantial career abroad and are ready to anchor a new research group in Spain. The aid can reach 1 million euros per project when direct and indirect costs are counted, with a higher ceiling of 1.2 million euros for researchers who have been linked to research bodies in the United States for at least five years in the relevant window. Funding covers the incoming principal investigator's salary and an R&D project led by that researcher, and the budget may also include lab adaptation. Universities, public research organisations, public institutes, public health research entities, and similar public bodies in Spain can apply. This is a competitive grant with a clear operational bias: it wants a named researcher, a funded project, and a path to stable integration. AEI also gives the call a 25% indirect-cost allowance, which matters for host institutions planning the true cost of recruitment. Strong applications should read like recruitment offers for a proven scientific leader rather than like ordinary project proposals.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.