VILNIUS TECH MERIT Project Excellence Scholarship and Mobility Grant Award Call

MERIT Project Excellence Scholarship

and Mobility Grant Award

Procedure and Selection Rules

at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University

1. The aim of the excellence scholarships and mobility grants (hereinafter referred to as SCHOLARSHIP) is to promote the practical application, publicity and research of advanced digital skills among European citizens, thereby fostering innovation and the activity and mobility of those who can create it.

2. The SCHOLARSHIPS are granted by the MERIT project. MERIT project is co-funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101083531. Up to 21000 euros are available to be distributed for the excellence scholarships and mobility grants at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (hereinafter referred to as VILNIUS TECH).

3. The SCHOLARSHIPS can be awarded to persons (hereinafter referred to as STUDENTS) who are citizens of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the EU) studying in MERIT project master's degree programs of Engineering of Artificial Intelligence (state code 6211BX023) or Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions (state code 6211BX024) (hereinafter referred to as the PROGRAMS) of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (hereinafter referred to as VILNIUS TECH).

4. Procedures for awarding SCHOLARSHIPS.

4.1. Information is published on the VILNIUS TECH website and other systems information about the possibilities for students studying in the programs to receive one-time scholarships for their results and activities performed, as well as available funding for student mobility.

4.2. During the study period, each student can write an application (hereinafter referred to as the APPLICATION) to the study program committee and apply for funding dedicated to:

4.2.1. mobility opportunities;

4.2.2. promotion for the results achieved.

4.3. The applications are accepted by VILNIUS TECH Department of Information Technologies.

4.4. In the first week of each month, the Programme Study Programme Committee considers the APPLICATIONS received and, on the basis of the criteria for the evaluation of applications, makes decisions on the satisfaction of students' APPLICATIONS.

4.5. STUDENTS are informed about the results of the consideration of the APPLICATION within 5 working days after the decision is made.

4.6. STUDENTS who were granted the scholarship application, within 10 working days must:

4.6.1. sign a scholarship award agreement, which also specifies the consent to the processing of the student's personal data, for scholarship management and marketing purposes;

4.6.2. provide the bank details necessary for the transfer of the scholarship;

4.6.3. provide other documents or information related to the award of the scholarship.

4.7. Students have the right to appeal about the results of the assessment, presenting aspects that they consider inappropriate in their assessment, factual errors in the assessment of the data provided. In the case of an appeal, the following procedure shall apply:

4.7.1. appeals are accepted by the study programme committee within 3 working days from the date of notification of the results of the assessment;

4.7.2. the appeal must be submitted in writing, indicating the specific places where the student's score was improperly assessed;

4.7.3. the study program committee must evaluate the appeal within 5 working days and inform the APPLICANT about its results;

4.7.4. if the inaccuracies referred to in the appeal are confirmed, they must be corrected and, accordingly, the fact of the award of the scholarship resumed.

4.8. In the event of a refusal of the SCHOLARSHIP, disagreement with the terms or failure to provide the necessary data in a timely manner, the APPLICATION is recorded as obsolete and the scholarship is no longer awarded.

5. Requirements for those who can submit an application for the scholarship.

5.1. The main requirements that must be met when applying for SCHOLARSHIPS:

5.1.1. to be an EU citizen – provide a copy of the identity document indicating nationality;

5.1.2. to study at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in the Engineering of Artificial Intelligence (state code 6211BX023) or Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions (state code 6211BX024) master's degree study program – to be included in the lists of full study students of these study programs;

5.1.3. must have no academic debts at the time of applying and receiving the scholarship.

5.2. Additionally, student’s activity during the studies is taken into account when evaluating scholarship applications. Students who are rated by teachers in specialized subjects of study as active during lectures have an advantage over inactive students. This fact determines not the size of the scholarship, but the ranking of applications for scholarships.

6. Mobility grants and their requirements.

6.1. Mobility grants can be awarded to cover student trips aimed at acquiring and demonstrating additional competencies, promoting the results achieved during studies and the PROGRAM.

6.2. When writing applications for mobility scholarships, the application must contain the following information and provide the following documents:

6.2.1. the purpose of the mobility and the planned results;

6.2.2. a link to the event or document indicating all the information about the event (date, duration, type, etc.) and its organizers (country, address, contact details, etc.);

6.2.3. detail the mobility costs planned or incurred and the proportion of their reimbursement requested (which costs are requested and to what extent).

6.3. Mobility scholarship applications shall be considered taking into account the following criteria:

6.3.1. the funding allocated must not overlap with the funding of other programmes, such as ERASMUS+;

6.3.2. for studies or traineeships in another higher education institution or institution, applications are considered only if the STUDENT has already submitted an application in the ERASMUS+ programme, but due to lack of funding, his/her application was not granted or the budget is not enough;

6.3.3. mobility must contribute to the development of advanced digital skills in the EU and/or the visibility of the MERIT project;

6.3.4. the mobility grant requested corresponds to the typical costs for this type and duration of travel, the budget is economically justified;

6.3.5. The student's mobility will have a positive impact not only on the student but also on other students of the PROGRAM, the community of the MERIT project.

6.4. The following types of trips are encouraged, for which a higher priority is given when assessing mobility applications:

6.4.1. participation in a scientific international conference, presenting the results achieved during the studies;

6.4.2. participation in international events (hackathons, competitions) representing the PROGRAM and the MERIT project.

6.5. In case of multiple applications and limitation of the budget, the priority is given to students, who had no mobility grants before, or the granted mobility grant was lower.

6.6. The amount of mobility grants from MERIT project may not exceed EUR 1500. In the case of higher costs, the possibilities of co-funding from other sources are investigated and combined to cover the full costs. The applicant should provide a written explanation what funding sources and amounts will be used for which mobility cost component, assuring no double funding will be done and at the same time, the received funding will be enough to implement the mobility plan. The request is granted only after it is satisfied that the fact of mobility will be ensured and there will be no double funding.

6.7. The STUDENT whose request has been granted shall sign a contract for the satisfaction of the application, in which he agrees that:

6.7.1. the funding can be used within 9 months from the date of satisfaction of the application, but no later than the end of the STUDENT's studies or September 1, 2026 (depending on what will be sooner);

6.7.2. the costs of mobility shall be paid by the students and he or she will provide the invoices received and the documents proving their payment to the study programme committee, which shall reimburse the costs actually incurred within 30 calendar days by transferring to it an appropriate amount of money.

6.8. If a STUDENT's mobility application is granted but before the student is used for a year of study, academic leave or other breaks in studies, the satisfaction of the mobility grant application is also invalid.

7. Excellence scholarships and requirements for them.

7.1. Excellence scholarships can be awarded for outstanding student achievements.

7.2. When submitting applications for excellence scholarships, it is necessary to indicate in the application the following information and provide such documents:

7.2.1. what exceptional results the student has achieved and provide documents proving this;

7.2.2. when these results were achieved;

7.2.3. how these results relate to the PROGRAMME and the MERIT project;

7.3. Applications for excellence scholarships shall be considered taking into account the following criteria:

7.3.1. the student's achievements are directly related to the vision for the development of advanced digital skills in the EU, the objectives of the PROGRAMME and/or the MERIT project;

7.3.2. the student's achievements contributed to the visibility of the PROGRAM and the MERIT project.

7.4. The study program committee estimates the criteria values, mentioned in paragraph 7.3 for each application, providing justification of the decision. Only applications, which meet both of the criteria are considered further.

7.5. Excellence scholarships can be awarded to the maximum extent possible, depending on their type, participation and influence:

7.5.1. up to 1000 euros – publication of a scientific article in the Web of Science referenced scientific journals with IF (not counting MDPI journals), referring to VILNIUS TECH as an affiliation. The number of co-authors and first author is taken into account – the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of authors, excluding the student and his or her supervisor; dividing by 2 if the applicant is not the first author;

7.5.2. up to 500 euros – publication of a scientific article in the Web of Science referenced scientific journals without IF or in MDPI journals with IF, referring to VILNIUS TECH as an affiliation. The number of co-authors and first author is taken into account – the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of authors, excluding the student and his or her supervisor; dividing by 2 if the applicant is not the first author;

7.5.3. up to 250 euros – publication of a scientific article in other scientific journals, conference materials, as an affiliation referring to VILNIUS TECH. The number of co-authors and first author is taken into account - the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of authors, excluding the student and his or her supervisor; divided by 2 if the applicant is not the first author;

7.5.4. up to EUR 100 – preparation of a scientific oral presentation or poster at a scientific conference. The number of co-authors and the first author are taken into account– the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of authors, excluding the student and his or her supervisor; dividing by 2 if the applicant is not the first author;

7.5.5. up to 500 euros – for the winners of international competitions or hackathons representing VILNIUS TECH and/or MERIT project. The size of the team is taken into account – the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+

1, where n is the number of additional team members;

7.5.6. up to 100 euros – active (not only in the role of an observer) participation but not winning in competitions or hackathon events, representing VILNIUS TECH and/or MERIT project. The size and achievements of the team are taken into account – the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of additional team members, as well the amount can be reduced by some specified ration if the participation was fragmented or not contributing to the MERIT project visibility and aims;

7.5.7. up to 1000 euros – a start-up was founded, on the basis of a master's thesis. The quantity of the founders of the start-up and potential of it are taken into account – the maximum scholarship amount is divided by n+1, where n is the number of additional team members, as well the amount can be reduced by some ratio, if the start-up funding is less than 10000 euros or the area is not directly related to advanced digital skills and MERIT project aims;

7.5.8. up to EUR 1000 – other achievements in studies, science and publicity, taking into account the contribution to the development, coverage of advanced digital skills and innovations, the visibility and further development potential of the PROGRAMME and/or MERIT project.

7.6. The STUDENT whose application for scholarship has been granted shall sign a contract for the satisfaction of the request, which stipulates that:

7.6.1. the student will indicate all the bank account details relevant to the transfer of money;

7.6.2. the student's achievements will be publicized in the public media;

7.6.3. the student ensures that the achievements were obtained as a direct result of the PROGRAM or MERIT project;

7.6.4. the excellence scholarship will be transferred to the student within 30 calendar days after signing the excellence scholarship satisfaction agreement, but no later than before his or her graduation or September 1, 2026 (depending on what will be first).

8. Restrictions on the receipt of scholarships.

8.1. During one semester, a student can submit multiple applications for scholarships, but the SCHOLARSHIP cannot be awarded repeatedly for the same results.

8.2. One student per semester cannot receive funding of more than 3000 euros on the basis of mobility or excellence scholarships. Incentives or other scholarship amounts received by a student from other sources are not included in this amount.

8.3. Up to 21000 euros are planned for 42 scholarships, but the scholarship awarding committee reserves the right to limit the number and amounts of scholarships provided each month, taking into account the available budget and other circumstances.

9. Legal disclaimer.

9.1. This call (as well as the financial support that will be provided through it) is NOT an EU action. This call is launched solely by VILNIUS TECH.

9.2. The financial support to the selected successful applicants will be provided directly by VILNIUS TECH in its own name and under its own responsibility.

9.3. VILNIUS TECH's own responsibility includes the preparation and drafting of this call as well as the selection of successful applicants that will receive the said financial support.

9.4. The publication of this call in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is made solely for information purposes with the aim to increase the visibility of this call to the general public, including to potential applicants (i.e. students). The said publication shall not be construed as direct or indirect approval of the content and conditions of this call by the relevant EU authorities or as any form of waiver from the above-described responsibility of VILNIUS TECH.

The call for the scholarship is announced on the VILNIUS TECH website, both in English and Lithuanian. The links are the following:

1. https://vilniustech.lt/studies/study-programmes/master-study-programmes/317411?element_id=317413&sp_id=856714_pr_2024&f_id=4&qualification=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A1%3A%22M%22%3B%7D
2. https://vilniustech.lt/-stojantiesiems-/magistranturos-studijos/studiju-programos/317403?element_id=317404&sp_id=856714_pr_2024&f_id=4&qualification=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A1%3A%22M%22%3B%7D#Papildoma%20informacija
3. https://vilniustech.lt/studies/study-programmes/master-study-programmes/317411?element_id=317413&sp_id=856715_pr_2024&f_id=4&qualification=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A1%3A%22M%22%3B%7D
4. https://vilniustech.lt/-stojantiesiems-/magistranturos-studijos/studiju-programos/317403?element_id=317404&sp_id=856715_pr_2024&f_id=4&qualification=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A1%3A%22M%22%3B%7D

Regarding questions, related to the call and MERIT studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, the main contact is Simona Ramanauskaitė (e-mail. [email protected]).