• This line of aid is part of Iberdrola’s social dividend initiatives
  • With a duration of two years, the program promotes exchanges between university centers and professional internships at the company’s headquarters
  • The registration period for this line of aid from Fundación Iberdrola runs from February 1 to March 30, 2023

Iberdrola continues to develop its commitment to talent, excellence, and employability by participating in a new edition of the `Energy 4 Future’ scholarships, an action that is part of the company’s social dividend.

Energy 4 Future (E4F) is an initiative that is part of the Horizon 2020 MSCA-COFUND Program, which offers young researchers the opportunity to develop their projects in the field of clean energy in a network of universities and research centers of international prestige located in Europe and the USA.

Thus, once again, Fundación Iberdrola España, in collaboration with the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency (REA), is promoting this international postdoctoral research program with joint funding of 4 million euros for 28 researchers. Last November, the meeting for the first call of the program was held.

The grants cover five areas of study: photovoltaics, wind energy, storage, smart grids, and electric vehicles. To facilitate geographic mobility and the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry, the program includes host periods of 18 to 21 months at universities and research centers, as well as professional stays of 3 to 6 months at Iberdrola’s headquarters in the USA, Mexico, the UK, and Spain.

The registration period for these scholarships in their second call is from February 1 to March 30, 2023. The evaluation period runs from April to August, followed by the interview phase in September.

In October, the beneficiaries of these 2-year fellowships will be notified, starting in January 2024.

The research will be carried out at 15 European and American research centers and universities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rochester Institute of Technology, in the USA; University of Strathclyde and Imperial College of London, in the United Kingdom; Université de Bordeaux, in France; and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, in Germany.

In Spain, eight centers will participate: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III, Universidad de Cantabria, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Universidad del País Vasco, Universidad de Salamanca, IMDEA Energía and Polymat – Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering.

This initiative replaces the previous scholarship program for young researchers promoted by Fundación Iberdrola España since 2011, to which it has allocated more than 3 million euros to favor the development of 180 researchers.

It is also part of Iberdrola’s commitment to excellence in training. Fundación Iberdrola collaborates with scholarship programs of various institutions such as the Fulbright Commission, which each year calls for Iberdrola-Fullbright scholarships; Fundación Carolina, which has a program for Mexican and Brazilian students; and the restoration workshops of the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, which allow future specialists to complete their training in the conservation and restoration programs of these institutions.

In addition, Iberdrola currently has a new call open for its Master’s scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year, to promote excellence in the training of new generations and foster young talent.

Iberdrola’s social dividend is also reflected in its responsibility towards the environment; in its 12,000 volunteers; in the more than 350 million euros dedicated annually to innovation; and in the fact that, in the past year alone, nearly 4,500 new professionals have joined the group.