UPC launches the first AI4CI Scholarship Call

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) has opened the first scholarship call for students of the Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries (AI4CI), taught at the Castelldefels School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering (EETAC).

The scholarships are funded through the Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries project, co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101123524 within the Digital Europe Programme.

Further information about the AI4CI project is available on the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders Portal:

AI4CI project – European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal

The call has a maximum available budget of €167,500 and is expected to award approximately 49 scholarships, with individual grants ranging from €500 to €4,500.

The initiative aims to improve access to advanced digital education, strengthen high-level skills in artificial intelligence and computer science, and promote excellence, equality and diversity in these fields.

Who can apply?

The call is open to:

• Students currently enrolled in the AI4CI Master’s programme at EETAC.
• Students admitted or pre-admitted to the 2026–2028 cohort who are expected to complete their enrolment.
• Eligible students from the 2025–2027 and 2026–2028 cohorts.

Applicants must be citizens of the European Union, an eligible European Economic Area country, or a country associated with the Digital Europe Programme.

They must also be full-time degree-seeking students in the AI4CI Master’s programme, corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS per semester.

Applicants must have already been admitted to the AI4CI Master’s programme at UPC EETAC or have applied for admission for the corresponding academic year.

Scholarship modalities

Applicants may request support under one or more of the following modalities. The total amount awarded to one student may not exceed €4,500.

Tuition fee reimbursement

This modality may cover:

• Tuition fees for the full master’s programme.
• Administrative and support fees.
• The cost of issuing the official degree certificate, provided that it is paid before the end of the project.

The maximum amount available under this modality is €3,400.

Living and transport expenses

This modality provides a monthly allowance of €100 for up to six months, with a maximum total contribution of €600.

Applicants must either:

• Have monthly rental expenses of at least €200, or
• Live at least 20 kilometres from the UPC Castelldefels campus.

Mobility expenses

This modality supports in-person academic mobility activities related to the AI4CI Master’s programme that are not covered by Erasmus+.

Eligible activities may include:

• Study visits to another institution.
• Academic stays connected with the master’s thesis.
• Courses taken at another university as part of the master’s programme.

The maximum amount available under this modality is €500.

Other study-related expenses

This modality may cover:

• Hardware or software required for study.
• Additional training.
• Information resources.
• Other expenses directly related to the programme.

The maximum amount available under this modality is €1,100.

Applicants must submit a justification letter together with the corresponding quotation(s), dated within the 15 days preceding the application. Final invoices and proof of payment must also be provided.

Application deadlines

Applications may be submitted before any of the following cut-off dates, provided that the available budget has not already been exhausted:

• 29 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time
• 5 February 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time
• 5 July 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time

How to apply

Applications must be submitted electronically through the UPC Electronic Office using the official UPC–AI4CI Scholarship application form:

UPC–AI4CI Scholarship application form

Applicants must attach the documentation specified in the call, including:

• A cover letter presenting their academic merits, motivation and plans.
• An explanation of how the scholarship will be used.
• Information on how the scholarship will contribute to their advanced digital skills.
• A description of any relevant personal, social, economic or employment circumstances.
• Supporting evidence for the circumstances described.
• A copy of an identity document showing nationality and date of birth.
• Any additional documents required for the selected scholarship modality.

Selection process

Applications will be assessed according to:

• Academic merit.
• Socioeconomic circumstances.
• Measures aimed at reducing gender disparities in engineering and computer science.

For each modality, applications will be scored out of 10 points:

• Up to 8 points for academic merit.
• 1 additional point for female applicants.
• 1 additional point where the applicant’s annual income during the previous year was below €21,000.

Eligible applicants who are not awarded a scholarship because of budget limitations may be placed on a reserve list.

Resolution and notification

Applications for tuition fee reimbursement, living and transport support, and mobility support will be assessed on a rolling basis.

Within five working days of receiving the applications, the Selection Committee will verify eligibility, assess the applications, assign scores and rank the eligible candidates.

Scholarship resolutions will be published on the UPC Electronic Notice Board, e-Tauler:

UPC e-Tauler

Applicants will be informed by email on the same day.

Acceptance and payment

Selected applicants must provide the required documents within five working days of notification, including:

• A signed scholarship award agreement.
• Bank account details.
• A declaration confirming that the same expenses are not covered by other EU funding.
• Evidence that they have successfully completed at least 22.5 ECTS per semester.

Payments will be made directly to beneficiaries after the eligibility conditions and supporting documents have been verified.

Further information

For questions about the scholarship call or the AI4CI Master’s programme, please contact:

ai4ci.master@upc.edu
cbl.masters@suport.upc.edu
cristina.cervello@upc.edu