Features
The purpose of the 2025 Leonardo Grants for Researchers and Cultural Creators launched by the BBVA Foundation is to award individual grants to researchers and cultural creators at a mid-career stage, between the ages of 30 and 45, to develop a distinctly personal and innovative project in their respective field of specialization or activity.
At least 55 scholarships will be awarded, distributed by field as follows:
- Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics): 6 scholarships.
- Biology and Biomedicine: 6 scholarships.
- Environmental and Earth Sciences: 5 scholarships.
- Engineering: 5 scholarships.
- Computer Science and Data Science: 5 scholarships.
- Social Sciences: 6 scholarships.
- Humanities: 6 scholarships.
- Visual Arts: 5 scholarships.
- Music and Opera: 5 scholarships.
- Creative Writing and Performing Arts: 5 scholarships.
It is expected that, during the development period of the project for which the grant is being requested, work on the project will take precedence over any other activities.
The grant applied for must be the primary—and preferably sole—source of funding for the project submitted in response to this call for proposals.
Requirements:
Applicant Requirements:
- Applicants must be individuals, researchers, or cultural creators who are Spanish nationals residing in Spain, or nationals of other countries residing in Spain (if the applicant is a national of another European Union member state, they must provide proof of residence in Spain for at least three years prior to the date of application; if the applicant is a national of a country that is not a member of the European Union, they must have long-term residency in Spain).
- Applicants must be between the ages of 30 and 45 at the time of application. They must be at an intermediate stage in their career or professional activity, with an innovative scientific or creative track record.
- Legal entities of any kind, associations, joint ownership entities, or groups of applicants organized under any other form of association are not eligible to apply for this call for proposals.
- If the proposed project were to be carried out at a university, a public research center, a private (nonprofit) research center, or a hospital, the applicant must be affiliated with that institution at the time the acceptance agreement is signed.
- Each applicant may submit only one application for this call for proposals.
How to apply
Required Documentation/Information:
- Basic identifying information about the applicant and the project.
- Summary of the applicant’s professional background (maximum 2,000 characters, including spaces).
- Project summary (maximum 2,000 characters, including spaces).
- Resume A brief resume of the applicant, with special emphasis on the last 5 years (maximum 5 DIN A4 pages, in Spanish or English).
- Five works that, in the applicant’s opinion, best represent their body of work. These may be submitted in any language, along with a summary or explanation in Spanish that preserves the original title.
- Up to two letters of recommendation from researchers or experts in the relevant field who have direct knowledge of the applicant’s contributions. The letters of recommendation must be dated and signed by the author, written in Spanish or English, and submitted by the researchers or experts who are endorsing the applicant.
- Project proposal (maximum 5 DIN A4 pages, in Spanish), including:
- Description of the project for which the grant is being requested, with an emphasis on the project’s relevance and innovation.
- Work Plan and Implementation Schedule.
- Breakdown of the total gross budget, including any applicable taxes and withholdings.
- A copy of your national ID card (both sides) or passport.
- If the applicant is a national of another European Union member state, he or she must prove that he or she has been residing in Spain for at least three years as of the date the application is submitted, by submitting their certificate of registration as a Union citizen and a certificate or certificates of municipal registration or an employment history report proving residence in Spain for the past three years. The same proof of residence applies to applicants who claim to be family members of a Union citizen.
- If the applicant is a national of a country that is not a member of the European Union, he or she must provide a valid foreigner’s identity card proving long-term residence in Spain.
- In the case of projects involving research on humans, the use of human samples, the use of cells and tissues of human embryonic origin or cell lines derived from them, as well as projects involving clinical trials, animal experimentation, the use of biological agents, the acquisition or exchange of genetic material, or those conducting studies through surveys or the collection of personal data, must comply with the provisions of the applicable regulations in force in each case. It is the responsibility of the beneficiaries and, secondarily, the centers to which they are affiliated, shall ensure strict compliance with these provisions.
Submission of the application.
All applications must be submitted exclusively through the online form available on this website.