Launched in March, Fundación Telefónica’s first 50 advanced technology scholarships were awarded on 5 November 2026. Of the awards, 22 went to students from Madrid. Biotechnology and biomedical engineering received 16 scholarships (32%), artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science received 15 (30%), and quantum technologies and applied physics received 13 (26%). Together, the three fields accounted for 44 awards, or 88% of the cohort.
The grants fund master's degrees at universities in seven countries, with awards of up to €80,000 per recipient. Institutions represented include Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, University College London, the universities of Oxford and Heidelberg, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. In total, 37 recipients (74%) will study outside Spain and 13 (26%) at Spanish institutions.
Europe accounts for 46 of the 50 awards (92%), while four recipients (8%) will study in the United States. The United Kingdom is the leading destination. Other students will go to Switzerland (12%), Germany (12%), the Netherlands (6%) and Belgium (4%).
Those studying abroad must return to Spain after graduating and are expected to apply their training at companies or universities, in technology centres or through high-impact entrepreneurial projects. The programme covers eight strategic technology areas, including biotechnology, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, robotics and automation, digital infrastructure, semiconductors and advanced telecommunications. The return commitment aims to strengthen Spain's technological capacity by bringing the fellows’ skills back into the country.
The programme also reserves 30% of its awards for female talent. Applicants must be Spanish citizens aged 35 or younger in the application year, hold an official university degree with an academic record between 7 and 10, have admission to a prestigious master’s programme and provide language certification at B2 level or higher. Applications also require a study project aligned with the programme’s technology priorities.
Fundación Telefónica plans to offer 150 technology scholarships by 2028, with a total investment of €4 million. The first selection round attracted more than 1,000 applications; 80 candidates reached final interviews before a jury including representatives from academia, innovation and technology development bodies, and companies such as Telefónica.
The selection process places these awards alongside other youth initiatives covered by RUSSPAIN, including the Bono Cultural Joven, though the scholarships focus on advanced technical training.
