Doctoral Studies (Institute of Chemistry)

General information about doctoral studies at Vilnius University

Doctoral Committee in Chemistry

Doctoral Committee in the Field of Chemistry, Area of Natural Sciences:

1. Prof. Habil. Dr. Audrius Padarauskas – Chairperson of the Committee, Vilnius University;
2. Dr. Jurga Juodkazytė – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology;
3. Prof. Habil. Dr. Aivaras Kareiva – Vilnius University;
4. Prof. Dr. Ričardas Makuška – Vilnius University;
5. Prof.Dr. Gediminas Niaura – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Vilnius University;
6. Prof. Habil. Dr. Eugenijus Norkus – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology;
7. Habil. Dr. Rimantas Ramanauskas – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology;
8. Prof. Habil. Dr. Arūnas Ramanavičius – Vilnius University;
9. Prof. Dr. Simas Šakirzanovas – Vilnius University, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology.

The Committee was approved by Order No. D-498 of the Vice-Rector for Research of Vilnius University on 7 May 2018.

Amendments to the Committee were approved by Order No. D-791 of the Vice-Rector for Research of Vilnius University on 18 July 2023.

Further amendments were approved by Order No. D-212 of the Vice-Rector for Research of Vilnius University on 27 February 2025.

Resolutions of the Doctoral Committee in the Field of Chemistry

The information will be updated soon.

Doctoral Study Course Units in the Field of Chemistry

Examinations of Doctoral Courses in the Field of Chemistry

To take a doctoral course examination, you must complete a request form and send it to no later than three working days before the examination date. An order issued by the Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences regarding the composition of the examination board will be sent to your official VU email address.

If you have chosen a doctoral course from a field supervised by another VU faculty or unit, you must contact that unit to arrange the formation of the examination board.

After passing the examination, you must notify within one working day, indicating the grade received. The examination result will then be recorded in the examination protocol in the Avilys Document Management System, and the information will be forwarded to the VU Doctoral and Postdoctoral Office.

Recognition of Credits for Participation in Activities and Training Aimed at Strengthening General Competences

According to Clause 45 of the Doctoral Regulations of Vilnius University, approved by the Senate on 17 October 2023 (Resolution No. SPN-44), 3–5 ECTS credits from the doctoral student’s work plan must be allocated to the development of general competences (e.g., project proposal writing, academic writing, research ethics, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, communication skills, etc.).

Credits may be awarded for participation in activities or events that enhance general competences – such as international summer or winter schools for doctoral students, or other relevant activities in Lithuania or abroad – as long as they are not directly related to the doctoral dissertation topic.

Training sessions organized by the VU Research and Innovation Department are published on the official Vilnius University website. Certificates for these sessions are issued annually (covering both autumn and spring semesters) by September. A single certificate includes all trainings attended in the previous academic year. These certificates are electronic, signed, and registered in the Avilys Document Management System, and sent by email to the doctoral student.

Doctoral students may also participate in general competence development activities outside of Vilnius University, such as at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), or at other institutions in Lithuania or abroad.

Activities that focus solely on developing subject-specific knowledge – such as scientific conferences, lectures, seminars, internships, or presenting research findings – are not recognized as general competence activities.

Recognition Procedure

The decision to recognize additional credits is made by the Doctoral Studies Committee in the Field of Chemistry at Vilnius University and the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology.

Doctoral students who have accumulated 3 or more ECTS credits for general competences must submit by email ():

• A formal request to the Doctoral Studies Committee
• A completed table describing the activities, and
• Copies of supporting documents (certificates, letters, etc.). All documents must be combined into a single PDF file.

Final-year doctoral students must submit this documentation no later than one month before the completion of their doctoral studies.

Recognized Activities for Chemistry Doctoral Students (Examples)

• Participation in general competence development activities/trainings organized by VU or other institutions (if ECTS credits are specified).
• Completion of the doctoral course “Academic Writing” (3 ECTS).
• Unpaid pedagogical internship (1 ECTS = 25–30 academic hours).
• Participation in the international doctoral school-conference “Advanced Materials and Technologies” (1 ECTS).
• Conference organization (1 ECTS; student must be part of the organizing committee).
• Science communication activities (e.g., popular science article, participation in one podcast, TV or radio programme – 0.5 ECTS).
• Foreign language training (incl. Lithuanian for international students, based on ECTS listed in certificate).
• Other approved activities with Doctoral Committee approval.

Annual Evaluation of Chemistry Doctoral Students

At the end of each academic year, doctoral students must report on the implementation of their doctoral work plan. Doctoral candidates funded by the Research Council of Lithuania are required to report twice a year.

Prior to the progress review, each doctoral student must submit a progress report in the required format. In the final year of studies, students must also submit a manuscript of their dissertation:

• For a traditional dissertation: the manuscript must include a title page, table of contents, and a dissertation draft (at least 1 author’s sheet in length).
• For a cumulative dissertation based on scientific articles: the manuscript must include a title page, table of contents, dissertation draft (at least 0.5 author’s sheet), and copies of the scientific publications.

The Doctoral Studies Committee in the Field of Chemistry makes the final decision on the student’s progress review outcome. Possible decisions include:

• Passed (positive evaluation),
• Deferred (with a new deadline),
• Failed (negative evaluation).

Students who fail the review are dismissed from the doctoral programme. Doctoral students who were funded by the state must repay the support (70 basic social benefits – BSB – to the state budget).

Progress reviews for Chemistry doctoral students are held in September. Exact dates, report submission deadlines, and instructions are announced at the end of August.

Participation in the review is mandatory. The aim is to evaluate the student’s progress (examinations, research, publications, conferences), develop presentation skills, present research findings to a wider academic audience, and receive feedback from colleagues and faculty researchers.

Doctoral students are exempt from oral presentation (but not from submitting a report) if they:

• Are on a research visit or business trip (as per Rector’s Order),
• Have completed the dissertation and a defence date has been set,
• Are on academic leave (they do not participate in the review at all).

In such cases, supervisors must provide a written evaluation of the student’s performance for the review period, or a separate review session will be arranged.

Important Notes

• According to the Doctoral Studies Committee decision of 27 September 2019 (No. 610000-KI-65), doctoral students in Chemistry must complete all course examinations listed in their study plan within the first two years.
• All publications and conference presentations must include full bibliographic information (title, authors, journal/conference, etc.).
• Publications not intended for inclusion in the dissertation should be marked accordingly.
• Previous years' activities must remain in the report. Tables should include short descriptions, not only "+" signs or "completed".
• Only doctoral study-related activities should be included. Participation in research projects should not be listed.
• Students are encouraged to participate in international conferences and mobility visits.
• Final-year students must submit a request for the recognition of general competence credits together with their progress report.

Presentation Requirements

Each student must prepare a 5–7 minute presentation summarising their doctoral activities during the reporting year. The presentation should include:

1. Title slide (institution, department, student’s name, dissertation title, supervisor).
2. Introduction (1 slide – short overview of research object, aim, and relevance).
3. Previous year’s results (1 slide – key outcomes).
4. Current year’s results (charts, graphs, images, tables).
5. Course examinations and general competence credits (indicating what was completed during the review period).
6. Publications and conferences (highlighting current year).
7. Mobility visits, training, other relevant activities (indicating current year).
8. Work plan for the next year (1 slide). Final-year students should indicate progress toward dissertation defence.

Information on Dissertation Defence

Information regarding the dissertation defence is provided in Section VII of the Regulations and on the Vilnius University website.

A doctoral student may submit their dissertation for defence when they:

• Have passed all examinations listed in their doctoral work plan and accumulated at least 3 ECTS credits in general competences (credits must be approved by the Doctoral Committee);
• Have published the key results of their research in at least two articles (being the only author or main co-author of at least one of them), which are either published or accepted for publication (with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or other proof of acceptance) in international scientific journals indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (CA WoS) database;
• Have presented their research results at at least two international scientific events;
• Have completed a research stay abroad of at least three months in total at foreign scientific or academic institutions (recommended);
• Have prepared the dissertation.

At the recommendation of the acedemic supervisor, and with the approval of the Doctoral Committee in the Field of Chemistry, the dissertation may also be submitted for defence as a cumulative dissertation based on a set of scientific articles. In this case, the doctoral student must have published the key research results in at least four articles (being the only author or main co-author of at least two of them), which are either published or accepted for publication (with a DOI or other proof of acceptance) in international scientific journals indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (CA WoS) database.

A doctoral student is considered the main co-author of a scientific article if they are the first author, unless otherwise specified in the article or in the publishing journal.

The dissertation template and Recommendations for preparing a cumulative dissertation based on a set of scientific articles in the Field of Chemistry.

When defending a dissertation based on a set of scientific articles, the academic supervisor must submit a proposal to defend the dissertation in this format, indicating the significance of the publications and the doctoral student’s contribution to each publication. This proposal must be sent to the Doctoral Committee by email () in PDF and DOCX format at least two weeks before the departmental review of the dissertation.

The doctoral student, together with their supervisor, shall contact the head of the department and the department administrator directly regarding the consideration of the dissertation at the department. During the departmental meeting, the dissertation, the doctoral student’s published scientific articles, passed examinations, and participation in scientific conferences are evaluated, and a decision is made (recorded in the department protocol) on whether the dissertation meets the requirements for a dissertation and can be submitted for public defence. Proposed dissertation reviewers, the date, time, location, and language of the defence, as well as the members of the Dissertation Defence Panel, are also determined.

Members of the Dissertation Defence Panel for a Chemistry doctoral dissertation may be appointed from scientists who have published at least seven scientific articles indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (CA WoS) and have published at least five CA WoS articles in the past five years. Members of the Dissertation Defence Panel must conduct research closely related to the topic of the dissertation (at least three members’ research activities must be in the field of chemistry). A panel member may not have co-authored publications with the doctoral student, and more than half of the panel members must not have co-authored publications with the student’s supervisor in the past five years (in the case of an external doctoral student – with a scientific consultant). At least one member of the panel must be affiliated with a foreign research and study institution.

After a positive decision at the departmental meeting, the doctoral student shall send a request to the Doctoral Committee by email () for consideration of the dissertation by the Committee, together with the dissertation manuscript. The department administrator forwards the department protocol in the Avilys Document Management System to Aleksandra Prichodko for information.

Upon receiving these documents, the Doctoral Committee shall hold a meeting no later than two weeks afterward (excluding July and August), at which reviewers are appointed (it is recommended that at least one reviewer be from a foreign research and study institution). Reviewers shall examine the work in detail and submit their written evaluations to the Doctoral Committee within one month.

If, according to the reviewers’ assessment, the dissertation meets the requirements and can be defended, the Doctoral Committee shall prepare the Committee protocol regarding the submission of the dissertation for defence no later than two weeks afterward (excluding July and August).

The subsequent steps for the doctoral student and the list of documents to be submitted to the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Office (Universiteto str. 3, room 108) prior to the doctoral dissertation defence are specified on the VU website.

Documents must be submitted no later than 1.5 months before the scheduled date of the doctoral dissertation defence.

If a doctoral student submits the dissertation to the Doctoral Committee before the end of the doctoral studies but is unable to defend it, the dissertation may be defended in the usual manner within 12 months after the end of the doctoral studies. During this period, an undefended dissertation is defended as an external student in accordance with the requirements of Chapter VIII of the Regulations.

For doctoral defences at the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, the Inorganic Chemistry lecture hall is reserved on Fridays from 14:00. The lecture hall must be booked for the defence through the CHGF study administrator, Gintarė Rimkutė (email ).

For matters related to the arrival of a Dissertation Defence Panel member from a foreign research and study institution, the doctoral student shall contact their department administrator.

Doctoral students who are not employed at the faculty prior to the defence must return their access card/key to the Dean’s Office.

Reporting Procedure for Chemistry Doctoral Students’ Business Trips

Documents regulating departures

- When planning a trip, the doctoral student should consult with the supervisor and take into account the recommendations to choose which conference, internship or event to go.

- In case of questions about the reimbursement of travel expenses, the doctoral student can consult the person in charge of the unit's finances.

- Before leaving the doctoral student must fill in a request (request example) and send it to the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Department (email address: ).

- The doctoral student may leave only when the order of the Rector or his / her authorized person has been prepared and signed.

- During your trip, collect and keep all original financial documents related to your travel expenses.

Upon return from the trip, the doctoral student must submit a travel report within 5 working days. The completed report and the original financial documents confirming the actual expenses incurred during the trip must be submitted by email and the original financial documents delivered to Room 222 (Naugarduko St. 24):

1. train and bus tickets (with receipts or invoices);
2. local transport tickets;
3. documents proving the cost of renting a residential space, if you purchased the services not as a legal entity (invoices, receipts, bank statements (if paid by bank card);
4. if traveling by own car – a copy of the vehicle registration certificate and fuel purchase receipts/checks. If several doctoral students travel in one car, fuel/travel expenses are paid only for one person traveling;
5. the doctoral student must ensure that VAT invoices, receipts, and other financial documents indicating the payer (recipient) are issued in his/her name.