VILNIUS TECH MERIT Project Targeted Scholarship Call

The MERIT Project Targeted Scholarship at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University is designed to enhance accessibility to master's studies focused on advanced digital skills, particularly in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, for EU citizens. The scholarship is co-funded by the European Union and has a total budget of €66,500, with up to €10,820 awarded per student.

Eligible applicants are individuals who are full-time EU citizens enrolled in the master's programs "Engineering of Artificial Intelligence" or "Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" at VILNIUS TECH. The application process is open, consisting of a single-stage submission that requires various documents, including a motivation letter, identity verification, proof of residence, and any evidence of achievements.

The funding supports students with costs related to tuition, living expenses, travel, and necessary study resources. It is structured to provide monthly payments of €350, and students may receive awards for up to ten months, depending on their circumstances.

The selection process is competitive, with ranking based on multiple criteria, including geographic origin, gender balance, age diversity, academic performance, and contributions to the digital skills arena. The application deadline is set for October 15, 2025, with a structured timeline for assessment and notification of results.

Scholarship recipients must comply with ongoing academic requirements to maintain their funding; failure to meet these standards may lead to scholarship termination or reduction. Interested candidates can address inquiries to Simona Ramanauskaitė via email.

In summary, this scholarship opportunity provides essential financial support for talented EU students aspiring to excel in fields related to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, facilitating their educational journey in a competitive and equitable manner.

The MERIT Project Targeted Scholarship at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) aims to increase accessibility to master's studies, develop advanced digital skills for European citizens, and promote higher-level skills, equality, and diversity in computer science. The scholarship is co-funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101083531. Up to 66500 euros are available for distribution.

The scholarship is open to EU citizens studying in the MERIT project master's degree programs "Engineering of Artificial Intelligence" (state code 6211BX023) or "Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" (state code 6211BX024) at VILNIUS TECH.

The application process involves several steps. Information about the scholarship procedure is published on the VILNIUS TECH website. By August 1, the study program committee chairman contacts accepted students to inform them about the scholarship application process, criteria, requirements, and deadlines. Applications are accepted until October 15. Applicants must submit all required documents and information proving their eligibility. The VILNIUS TECH Department of Information Technologies accepts the applications. Within 5 working days after the application deadline, the study program committees assess the applications, award points based on the criteria in paragraph 5.3, and rank the applicants. Each program selects the best-ranked applicants who fully meet the scholarship requirements. Other applications are placed on a reserve list. All applicants are informed of the decisions within 5 working days of the committee meetings. Scholarship recipients must sign a scholarship agreement and provide bank details within 10 working days.

Students have the right to appeal the assessment results within 3 working days of notification. Appeals must be submitted in writing, specifying the areas of concern. The study program committee evaluates the appeal within 5 working days and informs the applicant of the results. If inaccuracies are confirmed, corrections are made, and the scholarship order is updated. If an applicant refuses the scholarship or fails to provide the necessary data, the next applicant on the reserve list is contacted. The final list of scholarship recipients is published, and payments begin no later than November 15.

To apply for the scholarship, applicants must be EU citizens and be enrolled as full-time students in the "Engineering of Artificial Intelligence" or "Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" master's programs at VILNIUS TECH.

The required documents include: an application stating motivation and plans, a copy of the identity document, a document showing the declaration of residence, and optional documents illustrating achievements.

The ranking criteria are as follows:

1. Ensuring equal conditions for achieving advanced digital skills for region and big city citizens (weight: 2). Applicants are divided into categories based on their declared place of residence (regions vs. three largest cities). Scoring is based on the ratio of applicants from regions to those from major cities.

2. Promoting gender equality in computer science (weight: 2). Applicants are categorized by gender. Scoring is based on the ratio of men to women in the programs.

3. Developing advanced digital skills among people of different ages (weight: 1). Applicants are divided into categories based on age (under 25 vs. 25 and older). Scoring is based on the ratio of younger to older students.

4. Promotion of gifted students (weight: 5). The entrance scores of all students are evaluated, and the lowest and highest scores are selected. Each applicant's score is awarded a score based on its position between the minimum and maximum scores.

5. Promotion of students contributing to society and personal development in the area of advanced digital skills (weight: 3). Participation in events related to advanced digital skills is scored as follows:

Participation and achievement at the MERIThON event: up to 1 point.
Participation and achievement in another hackathon-type event related to advanced digital abilities: up to 0.75 points.
Establishment of a start-up or company providing services requiring advanced digital skills: up to 0.75 points.
Participation in MERIT or other courses related to advanced digital competencies: up to 0.5 points.
Participation in volunteering related to advanced digital skills: up to 0.5 points.
The maximum score from these activities is used, not the cumulative sum.

6. Elimination of economic barriers to study (weight: 2). The jury awards a score from 0 to 1 based on the motivation and justification for financial support.

The scores for each criterion are multiplied by the weight, and then added together. The maximum possible score is 15 points. Applicants are ranked based on their scores, and the top applicants receive the scholarship.

Students must use the scholarship for study-related expenses, including tuition fees, hardware or software, living and travel costs, additional training, and other study-related expenses.

The scholarship is paid monthly during the academic year until graduation or July 1, 2026, whichever comes first, provided the student meets the requirements. The scholarship is paid in October-June for the first year and September-June for the second year. The scholarship amount is 350 euros per month. One student cannot be awarded more than 10820 euros from all MERIT project scholarships.

Receiving this scholarship does not preclude students from applying for other scholarships, provided there is no double funding for the same purposes. Students receiving other scholarships must provide a written explanation justifying the absence of double funding. In case of double funding, the MERIT scholarship may be rejected or reduced.

The scholarship award and payment will be terminated if the student discontinues studies, takes academic leave, transfers to another program, fails an exam or course, or violates ethics and academic honesty. Students can also terminate the scholarship voluntarily. In such cases, the scholarship may be redistributed to another student.

The redistribution process is similar to the initial award process, with some changes. Applicants are evaluated within one month of the termination, but not earlier than 10 working days after the termination. Students are informed of the opportunity to apply for the vacant scholarship within 5 working days of termination, and they have 5 working days to submit the necessary documents. In the assessment of criteria 5.3.5, the weighted average of the subjects of study is assessed instead of the entrance score. The study program committee assesses all applications within 5 working days and informs students of the results within the next 5 working days.

The opening date for submissions was August 11, 2024. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2025, at 00:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation ranges from 1 to 10 months. The total funding available is 66500 euros. The project acronym is MERIT. The full name of the EU-funded project is Master of Science in Smart, Secure and Interconnected Systems. The grant agreement number is 101083531. The topic is DIGITAL-2021-SKILLS-01-SPECIALISED Specialised education programmes in key capacity areas.

For questions related to the call and MERIT studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, contact Simona Ramanauskaitė at simona.ramanauskaite@vilniustech.lt.

In summary, this opportunity provides scholarships for EU citizens pursuing master's degrees in "Engineering of Artificial Intelligence" or "Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. The MERIT project aims to boost digital skills and promote diversity in computer science. The scholarship covers tuition, living expenses, and other study-related costs, with a monthly payment of 350 euros. Applicants are evaluated based on factors like geographic origin, gender, age, academic performance, contributions to the digital skills field, and financial need. The application process involves submitting an application, identity documents, and other supporting materials. The scholarship aims to support talented students in developing advanced digital skills and contributing to the field of artificial intelligence.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is individuals, specifically EU citizens who are students enrolled in the MERIT project master's degree programs "Engineering of Artificial Intelligence" (state code 6211BX023) or "Management of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" (state code 6211BX024) at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH).

Funding Type: The funding type is a scholarship.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is for single applicants, not a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to citizens of the European Union (EU).

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically focusing on advanced digital skills and computer science, with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence. The topic DIGITAL-2021-SKILLS-01-SPECIALISED - Specialised education programmes in key capacity areas is mentioned.

Mentioned Countries: Lithuania (specifically Vilnius Gediminas Technical University) and the European Union are mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage is for students already admitted to a master's program, so it supports students in the development stage of their education and skills.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 66,500 euros. The scholarship amount is 350 euros per month, and one student cannot be awarded more than 10,820 euros during the whole scholarship period. The scholarship period ranges from 1 to 10 months, depending on application time and conditions.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a scholarship.

Application Stages: The application process involves multiple stages: initial application, assessment by the study program committee, ranking of applicants, notification of results, and a possible appeal stage. Therefore, there are multiple stages, more than 4.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but the document states that up to 5 of the highest-ranked applicants in each program will receive the scholarship. This suggests a potentially competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: There is no explicit co-funding requirement. However, the scholarship can be reduced if the student receives double funding from other scholarships for the same purposes, implying that the scholarship is intended to cover the full need.

Summary:

The MERIT Project Targeted Scholarship at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University is an initiative to promote advanced digital skills and equality in computer science by providing financial aid to EU citizens enrolled in specific Artificial Intelligence master's programs at VILNIUS TECH. The scholarship aims to increase accessibility to higher education in the field of AI, supporting students in their tuition fees, purchase of necessary hardware or software, living and travel costs, acquisition of additional training, and other study-related expenses.

The scholarship provides 350 euros per month to selected students, with a maximum of 10,820 euros awarded to a single student over the scholarship period. The selection process involves a comprehensive evaluation based on criteria such as ensuring equal conditions for students from different regions, promoting gender equality, developing skills among different age groups, recognizing gifted students, encouraging contributions to society, and eliminating economic barriers to study.

The application process is a single-stage submission, with applications accepted until October 15, 2025. Applicants must provide a motivation letter, identity documents, and proof of residence, along with any documents showcasing their achievements in the field. The study program committee assesses the applications and ranks them based on the defined criteria, with the highest-ranked applicants receiving the scholarship.

The scholarship payment can be terminated if a student discontinues studies, takes academic leave, transfers to another program, fails courses, or violates ethical rules. In such cases, the scholarship can be redistributed to another eligible student. The MERIT project is co-funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101083531. The total funding available for these scholarships is 66,500 euros. For any questions related to the call and MERIT studies at VILNIUS TECH, Simona Ramanauskaitė is the main contact person.