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For RSU Employees
For PhD Students
Research

The call for applications for doctoral grants at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is currently open within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism project No 1.1.1.8/1/24/I/005, ‘Doctoral grants at Rīga Stradiņš University’, which is implemented in collaboration with the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis.

Doctoral grants are targeted, competitive funding for doctoral research related to the successful development of doctoral studies, doctoral theses, doctoral theoretical research, or artistic creativity at RSU or with a project partner.

Doctoral grants are available to RSU doctoral students, and doctoral degree candidates whose thesis topics contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy and the development of specialisation areas, including:

  • Knowledge-intensive bioeconomy
  • Biomedicine, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals
  • Photonics and smart materials, technologies and engineering systems
  • Smart energy mobility
  • Information and communication technologies

Doctoral grants are also available to doctoral students and doctoral degree candidates in the social sciences and humanities whose thesis topics are interdisciplinary and contribute to the development of the specialisation areas mentioned in the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy.

Requirements for candidates

  • Doctoral students whose thesis topic contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy and the development of areas of specialisation, who are successfully enrolled in RSU-accredited doctoral study programmes, either fee-paying or budget-funded, full-time or part-time;
  • Doctoral degree candidates whose thesis topic contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy and the development of specialisation areas, who have successfully completed the theoretical part of the doctoral study programme at RSU or the RSU Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE), but have neither defended their thesis nor submitted documents for the organisation of the thesis consultation at the RSU Doctoral Department or Promotion Council, and who can prepare their thesis within 12 months and submit the necessary documents for the organisation of the thesis consultation at the RSU Doctoral Department;
  • Applicants must have published, or received journal acceptance for publication, of at least one (1) full-length scientific publication on the topic of their doctoral thesis, indexed in the WOS or SCOPUS databases, within the last four years (2022 to 2025).

Documents to be submitted

  1. The Application (Annex No. 1);
  2. A detailed 12-month Work Plan/Work Assignment (Annex No. 2), in which the doctoral student and the supervisor(s) certify the truth and accuracy of the information provided and assume responsibility for the implementation of the plan in the event of approval of the doctoral grant;
  3. CV, together with a list of scientific publications, indicating the title of the publication, the DOI, and the name of the database in which it is indexed;
  4. Copies of the supporting documents listed in the evaluation criteria table (Annex No. 3). If the PhD student is employed by the Collaborating Partner, a certificate shall be submitted as proof of employment;
  5. An estimate of the planned research expenditure (Annex No. 4), based on the methodology for unit costs developed by the Ministry of Education and Science and the research expenditure set out therein;
  6. Degree candidates must submit a statement from their thesis supervisor that the thesis requires 12 months to complete (Annex No. 5);
  7. If the applicant has been supported by a SAM 8.2.2 project and/or ANM 5.2.1.1.i project, the Work Plan/Task Assignment, Final Report, Explanation of Complementarity and Demarcation submitted to the previous call must be included with the documents.

Regulations and annexes

To apply for a PhD studentship, applicants must submit the annexes to the Regulations as listed below.

  • Signed hard copies to the RSU Development and Projects Department, 5 Dārza iela; or
  • Electronic copies, signed with a secure electronic signature and time stamp, sent to doktorantugrantsapdatrsu[pnkts]lv.
Application deadline: 4 August 2025

Additional information

If you have any questions or uncertainties, please contact the Development and Project Department by e-mail: doktorantugrantsapdatrsu[pnkts]lv

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