To carry out a research project aimed at solving a complex problem, which entails the systematic analysis of such problem, as well as the design and execution of an appropriate strategy to propose one or various solutions, including the corresponding lab experimentation, if the problem so requires.

In particular, throughout the different stages of development of the doctoral thesis students will have to:

• assimilate existing knowledge of the problem;
• perform a critical analysis of related techniques and methods proposed by other researchers;
• propose one or various solutions to the problem by means of new ideas which have to be complex enough to expand the frontier of knowledge (always observing codes of ethics and good professional practice);
• depending on the theoretical or experimental nature of the problem at hand, analyse the properties of the solutions developed and/or properly evaluate the results obtained (in accordance with the standards of the field of knowledge).
• communicate aspects related to the research conducted to a wide range of interlocutors, both from the academic context and from society at large;
• develop or improve their ability to function as members of a team (most likely in multidisciplinary contexts), and interact with other research groups at the national and international levels.

The PhD in Information and Communication Technologies provides excellent professional training, specifically in the area of knowledge of the doctoral thesis, although the skills acquired are also useful for other areas, particularly those requiring creativity and innovation. Amongst many other options, being awarded a PhD enables students to:

• Join the private sector as an R&D&i project supervisor or manager
• Develop their own business project and/or undertake consultancy work
• Undertake a research career at research centres and universities, usually after a post-doctoral training period.

There are several options with regard to the latter option:

• Grants and bursaries for post-doctoral fellowships: there are many national and international post-doctoral grants (see the grants section at the UIB https://estudis.uib.cat/Beques-i-ajuts/) The most important include:
• Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions (https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/): these activities include individual grants (MSCA-IF) for young researchers to undertake their research and supplement their post-doctoral training at a renowned research centre or European or global university
• Fulbright Scholarships (https://fulbright.es/programas-y-becas/becas-para-espanoles/): these grants include different activities for post-doctoral training at centres of excellence in the United States for short and long stays
• Juan de la Cierva training contract grants (https://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=909662ecfa1de610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=115222e988f75610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD): Juan de la Cierva-training grants aim to encourage hiring young PhD holders at research bodies or R&D centres for a two-year term to supplement their post-doctoral research training at R&D centres in Spain different to the universities where they undertook their pre-doctoral training
• Juan de la Cierva incorporation contract grants (https://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=974262ecfa1de610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=deef865dd69b2610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD): Juan de la Cierva-incorporation grants aim to encourage hiring young PhD holders at research bodies or R&D centres for a three-year term to consolidate the skills acquired in their initial post-doctoral training
• Ramon y Cajal contract grants, https://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=953362ecfa1de610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=deef865dd69b2610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD: these grants are aimed at promoting the incorporation of researchers with a standout record at R&D centres through, on the one hand, awarding grants to hire them and, on the other, awarding funds to create permanent posts for them to go on and join the agencies of the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation System that benefit from these awards
• Grants to incentivise stable employment for PhD-holders (IED) (https://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=ad57121e3f86a610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=deef865dd69b2610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD): the funds to incentivise stable employment for PhD-holders are intended to encourage permanent posts at universities and non-profit R&D centres to stimulate hiring researchers with a standout science and technology record
• Post-doctoral fellowships in the Balearic Islands (http://www.caib.es/eboibfront/es/2019/10999/623031/resolucion-del-vicepresidente-y-consejero-de-innov): the Margalida Comas, Vicenç Mut and Felip Bauçà programmes aims to incorporate researchers into the scientific community in the Balearic Islands
• Post-doctoral fellowships in other autonomous regions: nearly all the autonomous regions in Spain run a programme for ongoing post-doctoral training.
• More information can be found at FECYT, which has published a guide for research careers in Spain https://www.fecyt.es/es/publicacion/researcher-career-path-spain-glance-5th-edition.
• Contracts for research support technicians: there are calls from the Spanish government (https://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=f40eee563a4fe610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=deef865dd69b2610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD)
• Contracts for specific projects at universities, e.g. at the UIB (https://snss.uib.cat/seccions/cont/)
• Contracts for researchers and research support technicians in calls listed on the EURAXESS portal of the European Union (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/)
• Teaching and research posts (PDI) at universities and higher education institutions in Spain or overseas: each university regularly offers lecturer posts (for the UIB, please see https://seu.uib.cat/informacio/Convocatories/PDI/PDI-contractat-i-interi/). The natural next step in Spain after completing a PhD is a post as assistant lecturer with a PhD. In any event, assistant lecturer, contract lecturer or private university lecturer posts require holders to have a PhD and national accreditation to this effect. In the Balearic Islands, the accreditation agency is the AQUIB (http://www.aquib.org/cat/acreditacio-i-avaluacio-del-professorat/) or the National Quality Assurance and Accreditation Assessment Agency (ANECA) via the PEP programme (http://www.aneca.es/Programas-de-evaluacion/Evaluacion-de-profesorado/PEP).

In turn, the following information is available on subsequent employability of the nine graduates up to the 2018/19 academic year:

• 4 are working at university departments as assistant or contract lecturers with a PhD (3 are at the DCMI at the UIB)
• 1 has joined research groups with post-doctoral fellowships on R&D&i research projects at different Spanish universities
• 4 are contracted at a private company

If we include the additional seven graduates from the 2019/20 academic year: 

• 4 have joined university departments (3 at the DCMI at the UIB)
• 1 has joined a research group in the UK with a R&D&i project post-doctoral fellowship contract
• No information is currently available for two PhD graduates who had international joint supervision.

Please see 'Useful information > Grants, awards and general aid' for information on available grants, and 'Management of doctoral students > Procedures > Mobility and exchange' for information on how to apply for a stay.

Stays undertaken on the PhD programme by doctoral students

Legislation requires that official Spanish degree programmes receive a positive assessment from the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA, by its Spanish acronym). This process is known as verification, and it serves to ensure that education programmes are properly designed to provide the competencies and reach the learning goals around which the programmes are built.

The European Higher Education Area requires that there be a system in place to ensure the quality of degree programmes.

The doctorate programme is subject to constant assessment and improvement processes that guarantee that it maintains a certain level of prestige and renown in Europe. You can see the results of the assessment processes in the results section.