MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship: Call for Postdoctoral Candidates 2026

Research Group

The proposed research will be carried out within the MATERALIA Group at CENIM, a leading team in Spain and internationally recognized for its expertise in phase transformations in steels and advanced materials (such as High Entropy Alloys) both from conventional and additive manufacturing routes. The group is now making a large effort to incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools to guide material and processing design.

The group Comprising 21 researchers—including 8 senior scientists—MATERALIA has built a strong reputation for advancing the fundamental understanding of processing–microstructure–property relationships, a cornerstone for the design of new materials for extreme environments. The group is well equipped with computational tools, with state-of-the-art software and access to servers and high-throughput clusters via the Physical Simulation Laboratory at CENIM-CSIC.

Within this high-impact environment, the MSCA beneficiary will contribute to a new and strategic research line focused on incorporating advanced modelling techniques to guide the development of new materials for additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies.

Supervisor

Dr. Isaac Toda Caraballo is Tenured Scientist at the Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC). He has two bachelors (Mathematics and Statistics) and he obtained his PhD in Physics from the Complutense University of Madrid with a comprehensive multiscale simulation of microstructure evolution in ODS steels. He was postdoc during 6 years in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy of the University of Cambridge (UK) working extensively in the design of High Entropy Alloys. After this, he re-joined CENIM and continued his research line in steels and High Entropy Alloys both from conventional and additive manufacturing routes. He has participated and lead several national and European projects, and currently he is coordinating a European project in the development of new alloys by additive manufacturing for energy applications, as well as leading a national project to incorporate Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence tools for the discovery of new materials in the scope of Additive Manufacturing.

In 2023 he set up a new laboratory in CENIM, the Physical Metallurgy Digital Laboratory, from which he is the scientific manager, devoted to provide computational tools with the most relevant licenced thermodynamic software, machine learning and programming oriented to metallurgy.

He has published 51 papers (75% Q1), with ~2000 citations and a h-index of 20. He has co-supervised 7 master students in his postdoctoral stay, 4 master students in his current position and 2 PhD visiting international students. He is currently supervising four PhD students.

Research Topics (indicative)

Candidates are encouraged to propose innovative MSCA projects aligned with or complementary to the group’s expertise, including:

-   Prediction and simulation of the Additive Manufacturing processing

-   Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools

-   High throughput Thermodynamic simulations

-   Extensive use of programming tools, such as Python and/or Matlab

-   Alloy design

Interdisciplinary proposals are particularly welcome.

Candidate Profile

Applicants must comply with MSCA PF eligibility criteria:

-   PhD degree at the call deadline

-   Maximum of 8 years of research experience (post-PhD)

-   Compliance with MSCA mobility rule

-   Strong publication record and scientific independence

-   Interest in collaborative and interdisciplinary research

What We Offer

-   Full support in proposal preparation and project design

-   Integration into a highly recognized research group

-   Access to advanced characterization and modelling capabilities

-   Strong academic–industry interaction environment

-   Career development and training within MSCA framework

MSCA fellowships provide:

-   Competitive salary (including mobility/family allowances)

-   Research, training, and networking budget

-   International mobility and career development opportunities

-   Application Procedure

Interested candidates should send:

CV (including publications)

Short research proposal (1–2 pages)

Motivation letter

Contact

Isaac Toda Caraballo

[Isaac.toda@cenim.csic.es]