Right now, somewhere in Tarragona, a small group of undergraduates selected months ago is standing at lab benches inside one of Europe’s leading chemistry research institutes, working alongside PhD students and postdocs on real, active research projects, not shadowing, not observing, but actually doing the work.
That’s exactly what the ICIQ Summer Fellowship delivers, and it’s worth understanding properly even though this specific cycle’s 22 March deadline has already passed, since the programme runs every year and the preparation that goes into a strong application matters more than most students assume.
This guide explains what the fellowship involves day to day, outlines the academic eligibility rules that catch more applicants than most people expect, breaks down the stipend structure based on tax and residency status, and shows you what to do now if you plan to apply in next year’s cycle.
ICIQ Summer Fellowship Programme Summary
| Fellowship Name ⇒ | ICIQ Summer Programme |
| Host Country ⇒ | Spain |
| Study Level ⇒ | Fellowship |
| Benefits ⇒ | Paid — up to €900/month stipend, plus research training and mentorship |
| Funded by ⇒ | Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Tarragona |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All Countries |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 22 March 2026, now closed. Results were communicated by end of April 2026. Current cohort is mid-fellowship, running through 14 September 2026 |
What the ICIQ Summer Fellowship Programme Involves
The Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, based in Tarragona, Spain, runs this fellowship as a way of bringing strong undergraduate chemistry talent into its research groups for a genuine hands-on summer, rather than a token internship experience.
Each year, ICIQ opens somewhere between 10 and 14 fellowship places, spread across its various research groups, each working on a specific, named project that fellows apply to directly rather than a generic “chemistry internship” placement.
Fellows spend up to three months, running between 1 June and 14 September, embedded within a research group, working on an actual piece of that group’s ongoing research under close supervision from PhD students or postdoctoral researchers, while also attending ICIQ’s seminars, conferences, and other scientific activities happening across the institute during their stay.
What Makes You Eligible for This Fellowship
- You need to be a current undergraduate student. Graduate students, including those who’ve already completed their Bachelor’s degree, are not eligible under any circumstances
- You need academic grounding in Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline. The programme also accepts applicants from Pharmacy, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, and Biology, provided their specific research interests align with chemistry.
- You should preferably be in your third or final year of undergraduate study, or have completed at least 50% of your degree credits by the time you accept the fellowship
- You need to be genuinely available for the full internship window, between June and September
- You need to meet whatever visa requirements apply to your specific nationality. This varies considerably depending on where you’re travelling from, and it’s worth checking well ahead of any acceptance rather than after
What the Fellowship Actually Involves Day to Day
- Working within one specific research group at ICIQ, on a real, active piece of that group’s ongoing chemistry research
- Direct supervision and mentorship from PhD students or postdoctoral researchers, not distant oversight from a senior professor
- Access to ICIQ’s advanced laboratory equipment and research infrastructure
- Regular attendance at seminars, scientific talks, and institute-wide research activities throughout the fellowship period
- You must produce a final written report and deliver a presentation on your research findings at the end of the fellowship. The programme treats both as genuine deliverables rather than formalities.
What This ICIQ Summer Fellowship Programme Actually Pays
- €30 per day, up to a maximum of €900 per month, paid for time spent in-person at ICIQ
- If you and your supervisor agree that you will complete part of your fellowship remotely, ICIQ will not pay a stipend for that period.
- If your total stay lasts fewer than three months, ICIQ will calculate your stipend proportionally based on the time you actually spend at the institute rather than pay the full amount regardless of duration.
Worth knowing clearly before you budget around this figure: tax withholding applies to the stipend for non-resident beneficiaries. If you’re a tax resident of an EU or European Economic Area member state, withholding runs at 19%; for everyone else, it runs at 24%. This meaningfully affects your actual take-home amount, so it’s worth factoring in rather than assuming the full €900 arrives untouched.
What You Need to Arrange Yourself
- If you’re a non-EU national, you’re responsible for arranging your own medical insurance for the full duration of your stay at ICIQ
- If you’re an EU national, you’ll need to obtain a European Health Insurance Card before arriving. This document is free, but you must obtain it in your home country before you travel rather than after you arrive.
- Depending on your nationality, you may need to arrange a student visa, and ICIQ makes it clear that you must secure it before your stay begins rather than treat it as something you can resolve after accepting the fellowship.
What Documents You Need to Prepare
- A Motivation Letter: Explain your specific research interests and why you want to join your chosen research group.
- A current CV
- An academic transcript, covering your full Bachelor’s programme from the start
- A completed online application form, submitted through ICIQ’s Career Portal
Once you submit your application, you cannot modify it or add any missing documents after the deadline passes. ICIQ states this requirement explicitly. Because the application allows you to select two research groups, use your motivation letter to provide a genuine justification for both choices. Although ICIQ prioritises your first preference, your second choice should also reflect a real research interest rather than serve as a filler option.
What the Application and Selection Process Requires
- Visit ICIQ’s official Career Portal directly
- Complete the online application form in full
- Select up to two research groups from ICIQ’s list of active projects for that cycle. Your first choice is given priority during selection
- Upload your Motivation Letter, CV, and full academic transcript
- Submit your complete application before the deadline
- An internal selection committee, made up of the Summer Fellow project supervisor for each group and supported by ICIQ’s Human Resources team, reviews every application
- The selection committee first reviews all submissions for basic eligibility and rejects any application that does not meet every listed criterion at this stage.
- Remaining applications are evaluated on a merit basis, weighing your motivation letter, academic record, and CV together
- All applicants are notified of the outcome by the end of April
What the Deadline and Programme Timeline Look Like
- Application deadline: 22 March 2026, now closed
- Results: Communicated to all applicants by the end of April 2026
- Fellowship period: 1 June through 14 September 2026. The current cohort is actively mid-fellowship right now
- Next expected cycle: Based on ICIQ’s consistent annual pattern, expect the 2027 call to open around February or early March 2027, with a deadline likely falling in late March
What Else Is Worth Knowing at ICIQ
If you’re a graduate rather than an undergraduate, ICIQ separately runs a Master Projects Fellowship Programme, aimed at outstanding graduates pursuing a Master’s in Synthesis, Catalysis and Molecular Design or related programmes, with fellows beginning in October. That programme’s most recent deadline, 17 May 2026, has also now passed for this cycle, but it’s worth knowing about directly if the Summer Fellowship’s undergraduate-only restriction doesn’t fit your stage of study.
What to Do Before the Next Cycle Opens
- Review ICIQ’s list of active research groups now, ahead of the next call, so you can identify genuinely well-matched first and second choices rather than deciding under deadline pressure
- Start drafting your motivation letter early, focusing specifically on why your chosen research group’s work interests you, rather than a generic statement about wanting research experience
- Keep your academic transcript and CV current and ready to upload the moment the next call opens
- If you’re a non-EU national, research your visa requirements well ahead of time, since this process can take longer than expected, and ICIQ expects it to be resolved before your stay begins
- If you’re a graduate rather than an undergraduate, look into the separate ICIQ Master Projects Fellowship instead, since the Summer Fellowship strictly excludes graduate students
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ICIQ Summer Fellowship Programme still accepting 2026 applications?
No. The deadline was 22 March 2026, and results were communicated by the end of April. The current fellows are actively mid-programme right now, running through 14 September 2026.
Can graduate students apply for this fellowship?
No. This fellowship is restricted to current undergraduate students. Graduate students, including those who’ve completed their Bachelor’s degree, are not eligible.
Is there an application fee?
No. The application process is entirely free, and no IELTS or similar English test is required to apply.
How much of the stipend will I actually receive after tax?
This depends on your tax residency. EU or EEA tax residents face 19% withholding; all other non-residents face 24% withholding on the stipend.
What happens if my fellowship runs shorter than three months?
Your stipend is calculated proportionally to the actual time you spend at ICIQ, rather than paid at the full monthly rate regardless of duration.
Disclaimer: All programme details and figures in this post are verified from official ICIQ sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on ICIQ’s official Career Portal. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia.
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