IMB-CNM selects four researchers for the María de Maeztu Outbound Mobility Grants
The program supports early-career scientists in short stays in leading institutions worldwide to enhance their technical expertise and expand global collaborations
The IMB-CNM has concluded the selection process for the María de Maeztu Mobility Grants - Outbound Fellowships, announcing the four researchers awarded short international research stays under the 2026 call: Felipe Eduardo Zamorano, Marcos Duque, Gabriele Petitto, and Vadim Nikitin. Three predoctoral researchers and one postdoc (Duque).
The program is part of the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence and aims to support early‑career researchers (PhD candidates and postdoctoral scientists) seeking to deepen their scientific and technical skills through training stays at prestigious institutions outside Spain.
The selected participants will undertake 1‑ to 3‑month stays in Europe and America, funded with up to €5,000 each, to acquire new methodological expertise, strengthen their international collaborations and broaden their research perspectives. These stays are designed to provide hands‑on experience in environments that complement or extend IMB-CNM’s research capabilities, while fostering deeper engagement with global technology‑intensive institutions.
The outbound fellows will carry out their stays at leading institutions worldwide: Zamorano will go to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta (US); Duque to DTU Health Tech in Denmark; Nikitin to the Environmental Change team at Linköping University in Sweden; and Petitto to Imperial College London in the United Kingdom.
As outlined in the call, a total of eight fellowships will be distributed across the 2026 and 2027 editions, with priority given to researchers who do not already have funding for external stays. Host institutions must be located outside Spain, and proposals are evaluated on scientific merit, the excellence of the host institution, and the added value of the stay for both the applicant and the IMB-CNM research program.
The positive outcome of this year’s call reinforces IMB-CNM’s commitment to promoting international mobility as a key component of scientific development. By supporting young researchers with tailored training opportunities abroad, the institute continues to expand its network of strategic collaborations and strengthen its contribution to cutting‑edge research in micro‑ and nanotechnologies.
- Felipe Eduardo Zamorano
- Marcos Duque
- Gabriele Petitto
- Vadim Nikitin