The programme offers an opportunity for 26 young scientists to establish their first independent research group and implement an original research project. The expected start date of project activities is no later than 1 September 2026.
Selected researchers will receive a fixed-term full-time appointment of up to three years and will receive funding of up to EUR 350,000. The grant will cover salaries of the group leader and team members as well as project implementation costs. Group leaders will be expected to carry out a research project related to Lithuania's Smart Specialisation priority fields (priorities can be found here).
Eligible candidates should hold a PhD obtained within the past seven years (till application deadline). This period does not include maternity, paternity or parental leave, or long-term sick-leave. Eligibility criteria - by the application deadline, candidates must not have acted as principal investigators of projects funded by the Research Council of Lithuania under the measures and programmes listed in the call.
Applications will be assessed based on scientific achievements and potential, quality, originality and feasibility of the proposed research, and its compatibility with the research activities and infrastructure of the chosen Faculty at VU. Evaluation will also consider evidence of scientific excellence, mentoring, expert engagement and dissemination of results.
Applications must be submitted electronically viahttps://forms.office.com/e/1WHeYs7PC8by 20 January 2026, 15:00 CET.
More information can be found HERE.
The Arqus International Research Fellowship offers the chance to carry out research, establish larger research collaborations, and prepare applications for third-party funding during a stay of up to four months at an Arqus partner university.
The long-term objective of the call is to establish sustainable research collaborations between the Arqus partner universities. This call addresses tenure-track position holders and researchers with a doctorate employed at the University of Graz who have to fulfil a qualification/development agreement. The deadline for submission is 31 January 2026 at 23:59 local time.
Funding framework
- The maximum funding period is four months, with one interruption of the stay permitted.
- The maximum funding amount per scholarship is €10,000. Eligible costs include travel and accommodation, as well as material costs if required. TheGuidelines for Travel Subsidies for Academic Staff are to be applied.
- The research stay must be conducted between 1 April 2026 and 31 December 2027.
For further information click here.
Arqus is organising the Teaching Excellence Award for the fifth time. This award is intended to recognise teachers who are particularly innovative in their teaching practice. Teaching initiatives and projects carried out from the start of the 2024/2025 academic year are eligible for the Arqus Teaching Excellence Award.
The following criteria should be met for nomination
- Student-centred teaching: Consistent application of student-centred approaches that address the diverse needs of learners and promote inclusive educational practices.
- Assessment that promotes student learning: Consistent use of assessment strategies and feedback methods that support learning and development by encouraging reflection on and facilitating dialogue about learning processes.
- Research-based teaching and learning approaches: Use of research-based didactic approaches to improve learning outcomes.
- Integration of international perspective: incorporating an international perspective to enrich the learning experience and promote intercultural understanding.
- Transferability and adaptability: developing teaching initiatives that are transferable and adaptable to other educational contexts and promote the scalability and sustainability of the initiative.
- Relevance and impact: teacher reflection on the relevance and impact of the project on student learning to demonstrate the importance of the project in improving teaching and learning practices.
Nominations can be submitted until 15 January 2026. The award ceremony will take place at the Arqus Annual Conference in Maynooth (8 and 9 July 2026).
All further information on the award and the nomination process can be found at this link.
