The Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) has opened the call for the 2026 Competitive Intensification Program, which will remain open until May 15. This program aims to temporarily relieve healthcare professionals with a high research or innovation workload, allowing them to dedicate themselves fully to research projects or the development of new clinical techniques and procedures.
Who can apply?
The program is aimed at physicians and nurses from the Public Health System of Cantabria, both in hospital and primary care settings. To be eligible, at least 60% of the applicant’s indexed publications from the past three years must list IDIVAL as an affiliation. Heads of service are not eligible to participate.
Intensification Modalities
• Modality A: Competitive Intensification
• Maximum funding: €60,000 for medical specialists and €30,000 for nursing staff.
• Substitute contracts will last approximately one year.
• Application deadline: May 15, 2026.
• The intensification period must begin in 2026 or 2027. Applicants may request intensification for a maximum of two consecutive calls.
• Modality B: Self‑Intensification
• Funded with private resources provided by the researchers themselves.
• The call remains open throughout the year.
Required Documentation
• Project proposal describing the activity to be carried out during the intensification period. It must detail the duration, research or innovation tasks to be performed, the clinical and research/innovation activities that justify the request, and whether both will be carried out simultaneously. It should also describe the working environment, potential collaborators, available resources, a timeline with proposed start and end dates, expected results, and the impact on patients, the service, the institution, and society. The intensification period must be clearly specified.
• Favorable reports from the head/coordinator of the service/unit and from the manager or medical director, or from the nursing director when the applicant is nursing staff. These reports must specify the relevance of the intensification for the Public Health System of Cantabria and the suitability of the applicant. If the proposed activity involves clinical innovation projects, the reports must explicitly state their interest and feasibility. For university-affiliated faculty, a favorable report from the University Department Director is required.
• Curriculum vitae of the researcher, attaching the CVA or a link to the CV in the IDIVAL research portal.
Application Submission
Applications must be submitted through the IDIVAL platform using the standardized form available on the website.
• Modality A applications (until May 15 inclusive):
https://aplicacionesidival.idival.org/ConvocatoriasPropias/es/Convocatorias/VerConvocatoria?Id=1431
• Modality B applications:
https://aplicacionesidival.idival.org/ConvocatoriasPropias/es/Convocatorias/VerConvocatoria?Id=1435
