Taking inspiration from the best international practice, The Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) is launching a project to establish 5 new competence centres – the country’s first.
The aim of these centres is to strengthen Lithuanian science and innovation, to promote international collaboration, to enable commercialisation of knowledge and technologies, and to develop high-level R&D competences among researchers.
The RCL acts as the coordinator of the whole project, while the 5 thematic competence centres are being established by relevant Lithuanian higher education and research institutions as project partners. These Lithuanian institutions have also partnered with relevant international counterparts.
The 5 new competence centres are:
- Centre of Excellence in Plant Phenotyping for Healthy Food and Sustainable Agrobiological Resources – established by Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC) and Vytautas Magnus University with international partners;
- Centre for Autonomous, Remotely Operated and Connected Systems (ComARC) – established by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Kaunas University of Technology, with Fraunhofer FKIE (Germany) as the lead international partner;
- Centre for Microbiome Research and Precision Medicine – established by Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Kaunas Clinics), together with Kiel Institute for Clinical and Molecular Biology (IKMB) and Kiel Microbiome Center (KMC) (Germany) as leading European partners;
- Advanced Disease Modeling Centre – established by Vilnius University and Vilnius University Hospital (Santara Clinics), together with University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) and Utrecht University (UU) (Netherlands);
- Centre for Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chips – established by Vilnius University and State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), together with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) (Netherlands) and Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) (Belgium).
The opportunity
All 5 centres need PRINCIPAL RESEARCHERS – senior scientific leads to help shape core research agendas and strategies, to ensure high quality outputs in the centres’ respective domains, and to otherwise provide leadership.
As the centres are at different stages of their setting up process, the hiring for PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER positions follows separate deadlines. Below you can find the information for each centre.
International applicants are welcome and encouraged. Each centre provides their own job description and conditions, but, as a general rule, these will be full-time, Lithuania-based (non-remote) positions for an initial period of 3 years, with a possibility of extension.
Currently open positions
Centre of Competence for Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chips
I. Principal investigator positions (3 openings)
One each for the following research areas:
- THz frequency chips;
- GaN-nanostructures based THz devices;
- Semiconductor modelling.
More information and how to apply: Principal investigators (Vilnius University)
Closing date: 16 March 2026.
AND
II. Principal investigator positions (2 openings)
One each for the following research areas:
- THz hybrid chips and photomixers;
- THz structured light for next generation wireless communication systems.
More information and how to apply: Principal investigators (FTMC)
Closing date: 16 March 2026.
International Competence Centre for Autonomous, Remotely Operated and Connected Systems (ComARC)
Principal scientist positions (3 openings).
One each for the following research areas:
- Electronic & RF Systems and Embedded AI Applications;
- Microsystems, Components and Advanced Materials;
- Uncrewed Platform Designs for Air, Ground, and Sea Domains.
More information and how to apply: ComARC Principal Scientist Positions
Closing date: 31 March 2026.
Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Precision Medicine Centre
Principal investigator / group leader positions (4 openings)
More information and how to apply: Group Leaders / PIs at Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Precision Medicine Center
Closing date: 20 May 2026.
Future vacancies
Centre of Excellence in Plant Phenotyping for Healthy Food and Sustainable Agrobiological Resources
To be announced.
Closed applications
Vilnius-Utrecht Center for Advanced Disease Modeling
Principal investigator (1 opening)
Closing date: 15 February 2026.
Additional information
As the centres are currently being set up, more information about them will be published in due course. We invite you to follow LINO and RCL news for updates. You can also reach out to Lijana Dienaitė (lijana.dienaite@lmt.lt) for general information at RCL level. For advertised vacancies at each individual competence centre the contacts indicated on those vacancies pages are the best point of call.
