Open call for 40 doctoral scholarships with a differential approach to train high-level human capital in Boyacá

• The scholarships, financed with resources from the General System of Royalties, prioritize women, conflict victims, farmers, youth, individuals with disabilities, people with diverse identities, and ethnic communities. Doctoral training will begin in 2026 at UPTC and Universidad Santo Tomás.

Tunja, Boyacá. December 02, 2025. To promote the training of high-level human capital in Boyacá and strengthen the country’s scientific and technological capacities, the opening of a call for 40 non-repayable educational loans for doctoral studies beginning in 2026 was announced. This opportunity, financed with resources from the General System of Royalties (SGR), is part of Call 35 for Science, Technology, and Innovation corresponding to the 2023–2024 biennium.

One of the most relevant aspects of this call is its differential approach, which seeks to guarantee equitable access to advanced education. Therefore, priority will be given to women, victims of the armed conflict, farmers, youth, persons with disabilities, people with diverse identities, and ethnic peoples and communities, thus promoting inclusion and the democratization of knowledge.

Each selected individual will receive full funding for tuition, a monthly financial allowance for living expenses, and resources to carry out their research project or an international internship. The loan will be non-repayable only upon obtaining the doctoral degree, making it a key mechanism to facilitate academic trajectories of excellence relevant to the territorial challenges of the central-eastern region of the country.

This initiative is possible thanks to the alliance between MINCIENCIAS, the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC, for its Spanish acronym), Universidad Santo Tomás – Tunja Campus (USTA), with the Research Center in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (CITECDES), Corporación colombiana de investigación agropecuaria – AGROSAVIA, with its Tunja office (affiliated with the Tibaitatá Research Center), the Regional Center for Management, Productivity, and Innovation of Boyacá (CREPIB, for its Spanish acronym), and the Government of Boyacá.

The programs offered by UPTC cover a wide disciplinary spectrum, from basic and applied sciences to social and human sciences. Among these are the following doctoral:
• Doctorate in Chemical Sciences
• Doctorate in Biological and Environmental Sciences
• Doctorate in Physical Sciences
• Doctorate in Mathematical Sciences
• Doctorate in Engineering with an emphasis on Electronic Engineering
• Doctorate in Engineering and Materials Science
• Doctorate in Engineering with an emphasis on Systems and Computing Engineering and Transport and Roads Engineering
• Doctorate in Geography
• Doctorate in Territory and Rural Development
• Doctorate in Language and Culture
• Doctorate in Education Sciences
• Doctorate in Pedagogy and Didactics
• Doctorate in History

For its part, Universidad Santo Tomás – Tunja Campus offers the Doctorate in Public Law in its virtual modality.

The call will be open from December 1, 2025, to January 26, 2026, a period during which applicants may register, purchase the PIN, and complete the corresponding form. The selection, evaluation, and publication of results will take place by February 26, 2026, the date on which the final list of beneficiaries will be published.

Call schedule:

ACTIVITY	DATE
Opening of the scholarship call	December 01, 2025
Registration process for doctoral programs (PIN purchase and completion of the registration form)	From December 01, 2025, to January 13, 2026
Selection process for applicants in the doctoral programs	May take place continuously from December 01 to January 20, 2026
Notification via email to selected applicants	May take place continuously from December 01 to January 21, 2026
Closing of the scholarship call	January 26, 2026
Requirements review period to proceed to evaluation	January 27 to 29, 2026
Requirements adjustment period or requirements correction period	January 30 to February 04, 2026
Proposal evaluation period	February 05 to 16, 2026
Publication of the pool of eligible candidates	February 17, 2026
Clarification request period regarding the list of eligible candidates	February 18 to 20, 2026. Time: 16:00 hours
Response to clarification requests	February 23 to 25, 2026
Publication of the final list of selected candidates	February 26, 2026

With this boost to doctoral training, Boyacá is committed to strengthening human talent, scientific development, innovation, and social inclusion, enabling more people—especially those historically excluded—to access opportunities that transform lives and territories.

• Click here to access the registration form.
• Click here to access the call.
• Click here to access Annex 1. Challenges, territorial demands, thematic scope, and thematic lines for doctoral thesis proposals.