Vilnius University publishes a competition to doctoral dissertation themes in five research areas in accordance with Admission Rules for 2022 entry to Doctoral Studies at Vilnius University. Applicants must have a Master’s qualification degree or a higher education degree equivalent to it.
All the documents must be submitted by the 10th of June, 2022 (unless stated otherwise):
- an application addressed to the Rector;
- a copy of the passport or any other valid identification card;
- copies of the Master’s diploma or of a higher education diploma equivalent to it and their supplements;
- Curriculum Vitae;
- a completed questionnaire with a photo;
- a list of research works and their copies, conference presentations, works awarded at academic competitions (if there is any);
- recommendations by two academic referees from the topic of the relevant field of science (candidates to PhD studies in biochemistry have to submit one recommendation written by a supervisor of dissertation theme - see Dissertation themes);
- a certificate proving the level of English (not lower than B2);
- 15 Eur instalment cheque.
- Applicants also have to submit a consent to the processing of personal data at the University.
- A copy of the certificate on the recognition of higher education qualifications obtained abroad also might be asked to submit.
Other important documents, such as a certificate of completion of various courses or examinations passed at the doctoral level, are welcome too.
- All documents issued in a language other than English, Russian or Lithuanian should be supplemented with an official translation.
At the Centre for Life Sciences, doctoral studies are carried out in the natural sciences (Biochemistry (N004), Biophysics (N011), Biology (N010), Ecology and Applied Science (N 012), Zoology (N014)) and in the technological sciences (Chemical Engineering T005), on the basis of the chosen topic of research (please, find below). For PhD applications in Biology, a short description of prospective research project on the chosen research topic must be submitted to the Chair of the Committee and presentation shoul be prepared prior to the motivational interview. General information about doctoral studies and admission process: .
Interview time and Criteria for selection
Biochemistry
The interview will take place on 30 June at 10 a.m. in C-549 (LSC, Saulėtekio av. 7).
Selection criteria
The interview will be held on the topic chosen for dissertation. The interview will be evaluated (up to 10 points) on the basis of the applicant's scientific competence, motivation in choosing the dissertation topic, theoretical preparation and initial methodological skills.
Applicants' scientific experience will be assessed on the basis of their published scientific work and participation in international conferences. Points are awarded for:
- 0,25 points for participation in international scientific conferences with an oral or poster presentation (regardless of the number of conferences);
- 0,5 points for publishing scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (regardless of the number of articles) with no citation index (IF)
- 1 point for each scientific article published in a peer-reviewed journal with an IF.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
16 |
||
Biophysics
The interview will take place on 28 June at 9 a.m. R-103 (LSC, Saulėtekio av. 7).
Selection criteria
The interview will be held on the topic chosen for dissertation. The interview will be evaluated on the basis of the applicant's scientific competence, motivation in choosing the dissertation topic, theoretical background and initial methodological skills.
Applicants' scientific experience is assessed on the basis of their published scientific work and participation in international scientific conferences. Points are awarded for:
- 0,25 points for each published scientific article in a Lithuanian journal;
- 1 point for each scientific article published in a peer-reviewed WoS journal;
- for theses: 0.1 point for a Lithuanian conference or 0.2 point for an international conference.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
16 |
||
Biology
The interview will take place on 30 June starting at 11 a.m. remotely.
Selection criteria
A research project is on the chosen dissertation topic and it must include:
- a description of the scientific problem to be addressed, a discussion of the state of research on the topic in Lithuania and worldwide;
- the relevance, novelty and promise of the chosen topic; and how the data obtained could complement the research already carried out;
- the aim and main objectives of the work are formulated;
- discuss possible research methods and process;
- the length of the project must be up to 10,000 characters; it must comply with the general requirements for scientific papers;
- The research projectmust be submitted to the PhD Committee in electronic form between 21 and 25 June inclusive (e-mail: ).
The interview will take place on the topic of the chosen dissertation. In the case of a research project, a presentation of 7-10 minutes. The interview will be evaluated on the basis of the applicant's scientific competence, motivation for choosing the dissertation topic, theoretical preparation and initial methodological skills.
Applicants' scientific experience is assessed on the basis of their published scientific work and participation in international scientific conferences. Points are awarded for:
- 0,25 points for participation in international scientific conferences with oral or poster presentations (regardless of the number of conferences);
- 0,5 points for publishing scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (regardless of the number of articles) with no citation index (IF)
- 1 point for each scientific article published in a peer-reviewed journal with an IF, with 1 point awarded.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
16 |
||
Chemical Engineering
The interview will take place on 29 June at 10 a.m. in C-537 (LSC, Saulėtekio av. 7).
Selection criteria
The interview will be held on the topic of the selected dissertation. The interview will be evaluated on the basis of the applicant's scientific competence, motivation in choosing the dissertation topic, theoretical background and initial methodological skills.
Applicants' scientific experience is assessed on the basis of their published scientific work and participation in international scientific conferences. Points are awarded for:
- 0,25 points for participation in international scientific conferences with an oral or poster presentation (regardless of the number of conferences);
- 0,5 points for publishing scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (regardless of the number of articles) without a citation index (IF)
- 1 point for each scientific article published in a peer-reviewed journal with an IF, 1 point.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
16 |
||
Ecology and Environmental Science
The interview will take place on 27 June at 10 a.m. in C-549 (LSC, Saulėtekio av. 7).
Selection criteria
Selection procedure is based on interview and scientific experience.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
18 |
||
Zoology
The interview will take place on 29 June at 10 a.m. in C-129 (GMC, Saulėtekio al. 7).
The interview with the Commission will assess the applicants' readiness and motivation to pursue a PhD in Zoology.
- At the beginning of the interview, the applicant will present the topic of his/her choice in a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation. The presentation a) describes the scientific problem to be studied, discusses the state of research on the topic in Lithuania and worldwide; b) discusses the relevance, novelty and prospectivity of the chosen topic, shows how the data obtained could complement the research already carried out; c) formulates the aim of the thesis and the main objectives, discusses possible methods and the course of the research.
- The Committee will assess the relevance of the applicant's scientific publications, scientific activities and experience to the chosen topic, scientific references, etc.
- The Committee is recommended to ascertain whether the applicant's educational background (knowledge and skills) is sufficient for the intended topic of the thesis, and the applicant's experience (bachelor's and master's theses, projects) in conducting scientific research, whether the applicant is comfortable with the planned mode of study and research (seasonal collection of material, long-term expeditions, the need to carry out chemical analyses), if the applicant plans to combine doctoral studies with other work, and if this will not prevent the applicant from completing the work envisaged in the plan of study in time for the doctoral dissertation to be prepared and defended.
- The final score for the motivation interview shall be the arithmetic mean of the Commissioners' scores on a ten-point scale.
Evaluation of scientific activities
Only published papers (with pages or DOI identifier in the publication) for which copies (not manuscripts) are submitted and abstracts for which copies (from submitted conference proceedings) are submitted will be awarded points (T).
Type of research work |
Measurement units * |
Coefficient (K) |
Research articles in publications with citation index in Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge database |
Author's contribution |
4 |
Scientific articles in other publications referenced in the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge database |
Author's contribution |
3 |
Scientific articles in other peer-reviewed (periodical, continuing or occasional) scientific publications |
Author's contribution |
2 |
Scientific articles in other peer-reviewed (periodical, continuing or occasional) scientific publications |
Author's contribution |
1 |
Additional points are awarded for: |
||
International conference theses and proceedings in non-peer-reviewed publications |
Author's contribution |
0,75 |
National conference theses and proceedings in non-peer-reviewed publications |
Author's contribution |
0,25 |
Articles for the promotion of science |
Author's contribution |
0,25 |
*Author contribution (AI) is calculated according to the formula AI=1/AS, where AS is the number of authors of the article/thesis; e.g. if the number of authors of an article (Scientific articles in journals referenced and with a citation index in the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge database) is 4, then the AI will be equal to 0.25, and one point will be awarded for this article (T=AI*K=(1/4)*4=1).
- The applicant's total research activity will be evaluated as the sum of the scores obtained for the individual research papers.
- The final score of the applicant's scientific activity on a three-point scale (MP) is calculated according to the formula MD = 3*(T/Tmax), where T is the sum of the applicant's points and Tmax is the sum of the points of the applicant with the highest score for the research activity. If there is only one applicant, he/she shall receive the sum of the points he/she has accumulated for the scientific activity, or 3 points if the sum of the points is higher.
Composition of the competition points
Structure of the competition points and their coefficients |
|||
Weighted average of the marks in the Diploma Supplement (SV), up to 10 points |
Interview Assessment (PĮ)), up to 10 points |
Experience and Research Work Assessment (MD) |
|
1 x (SV) |
1 x (PĮ) |
1 x (MD) |
|
Minimum score |
18 |
- Weighted average (WA) of the marks in the Diploma Supplement. The weighted average of the arithmetic mean of the grades in the subjects of the Master's degree or equivalent Diploma Supplement/Addendum and the grade of the final thesis.
- Motivation Interview (MI). The interview with the Commission assesses the applicants' readiness and motivation to pursue a PhD in Zoology. Only applicants with a final score of at least 7 in the motivation interview may apply for the PhD programme.
- Assessment of research experience and research papers (MD). The applicant's research experience will be evaluated in points according to the attached table and converted into a three-point scale comparing the applicants' research achievements.
- The applicants' competition score (CS) is calculated as the sum of the scores of the selection criteria - CS = (SV + PI + MD).
- In the event of a tie, the applicant with the higher research performance score will be ranked higher in the competition queue.
- Only applicants with a competition score of at least 18 points may apply for the PhD programme.
Research Topics and Supervisors
Biochemistry
Nr. |
Research topic |
Offered supervisors |
|
1. |
Synthesis and application of DNA and enzymes-based self-assembled monolayers. |
Dr. Gintautas Bagdžiūnas |
|
2. |
Dr. Vida Časaitė |
||
3. |
Interaction of pathogens causing upper respiratory tract diseases with artificial lipid membranes. |
Dr. Marija Jankunec – supervisor |
|
4. |
Non-coding transcriptome analysis in single-cell resolution. |
Dr. Simonas Juzėnas |
|
5. |
Determinants of DNA repair in CRISPR nuclease-mediated gene editing. |
Dr. Stephen Jones |
|
6. |
Dr. Tautvydas Karvelis – supervisor |
||
7. |
Origin, evolution and diversity of Cas9, Cas12 and Cas13 proteins. |
Dr. Darius Kazlauskas |
|
8. |
Structure and function of procaryotic anti-phage defence systems and associated proteins. |
Dr. Elena Manakova – supervisor |
|
9. |
Dr. Patrick Pausch |
||
10. |
Dr. Giancarlo Russo |
||
11. |
Modelling the co-development of methylation patterns and CRISPR adaptation in prokaryotes. |
Dr. Giancarlo Russo |
|
12. |
Dr. Rasa Rutkienė |
||
13. |
Investigation of molecular mechanisms of resistance to anticancer treatment. |
Dr. Aušra Sasnauskienė |
|
14. |
Dr. Vytautas Smirnovas |
||
15. |
Dr. Jonita Stankevičiūtė |
||
16. |
Investigation of multi-enzymatic reactions and their use in biosensors and bioconversion systems. |
Dr. Lidija Tetianec |
|
17. |
Prof. Česlovas Venclovas – supervisor |
||
18. |
Computational analysis and prediction of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid complexes. |
Prof. Česlovas Venclovas – supervisor |
|
19. |
Dr. Mindaugas Zaremba – supervisor |
Biophysics
Nr. |
Research topic |
Offered supervisors |
|
1. |
Factors influencing emotion recognition, expression, and regulation in males. |
Dr. Ramunė Grikšienė |
|
2. |
Electrophysiological brain activity during emotional reactions to music: practical implications. |
Dr. Inga Griškova-Bulanova |
|
3. |
Cellular and network mechanisms behind Auditory Steady-State Response. |
Dr. Robertas Guzulaitis |
|
4. |
Integrated STED and bioelectrochemical techniques for tethered bilayer studies. |
Dr. Gintaras Valinčius |
Biology
Nr. |
Research topic |
Offered supervisors |
1. |
Creation of cell therapies enabled by CRISPR nucleases and iPS cells – HSC. |
Dr. Jonathan Arias |
2. |
Viral membrane fusion protein class switching during RNA virus evolution. |
Dr. Gytis Dudas |
3. |
Doc. Renata Gudiukaitė |
|
4. |
Screening and characterization of new bacterial polyesterases. |
Doc. Renata Gudiukaitė |
5. |
Influence of genetic mutations on the outcome of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. |
Prof. Sonata Jarmalaitė |
6. |
Development of high-throughput oncology drug screening technologies. |
Prof. Sonata Jarmalaitė – supervisor |
7. |
Dr. Vilma Petrikaitė |
|
8. |
Full-length, targeted sequencing of CRISPR-Cas systems in microbial ecosystems. |
Dr. Giancarlo Russo |
9. |
Effect of excess amounts of micronutrients and phthalates found in water on mammalian development. |
Prof. Violeta Žalgevičienė – supervisor |
Chemistry Engineering (Biotechnology)
Nr. |
Research topic |
Offered supervisors |
|
1. |
Dr. Edita Čapkauskaitė |
||
2. |
Computational methods for protein interaction data analysis. |
Dr. Justas Dapkūnas |
|
3. |
Dr. Virginija Dudutienė |
||
4. |
Dr. Indrė Kučinskaitė-Kodzė |
||
5. |
Development of fast and sensitive computational methods for biological sequence analysis. |
Dr. Mindaugas Margelevičius |
|
6. |
Dr. Inga Matijošytė |
||
7. |
Dr. Patrick Pausch |
||
8. |
Dr. Vytautas Smirnovas – supervisor |
||
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Nr. |
Research topic |
Offered supervisor |
|
1. |
Evaluation of Allergenic Potential of Greenery in Urban Topics. |
Prof. Ingrida Šaulienė |