Seventeen doctoral students of Ilia State University won the 2022 doctoral educational programs grant from the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia.

Among the winners are:

• Tamar Chaghiashvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Solar flare-related dynamics in Active Regions.”
• Tatia Kalandadze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Business, Technology and Education of Ilia State University), project “Evaluating development of Doctoral Education in Georgia from the perspective of research culture.”
• Mariam Osepashvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), the project “Phenotypic and transcriptome profiles of C. elegans mutant strains exposed to promising anticancer therapeutics.”
• Mariam Motsikulashvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Role of small non-coding RNAs (miRNAs) in the progression of Multiple Myeloma and their therapeutic potential.”
• Nino Tkemaladze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Changes in sleep architecture during avoidance behavior in rats.”
• Vakhtang Tsintsabadze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Quintessential Cosmology.”
• Natia Sazandarishvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Business, Technology and Education of Ilia State University), project “Topological investigation of geometric extremal problems for a system of convex sets.”
• Tata Ninidze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Development of multiplex real-time PCR for allergen analysis in genetically modified maize.”
• Giga Khositashvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Business, Technology and Education of Ilia State University), the project “The Culture of Academic Integrity in Georgian Higher Educational Institutions: The adaptation of Similarity Detection Software and Plagiarism Perception among Academic Staff.”
• Kristine Margvelashvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Ilia State University), project “The Role of Religion in Political Transformation process: The case of Georgia and Greece.”
• Akaki Nadaraia (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Reconstruction of Little Ice Age glacier geometry and equilibrium line attitudes on the Adishi Glacier.”
• David Bakhsoliani (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Landslide susceptibility mapping using a set of modern remote sensing and statistical processing methods through the example of Surami settlement area
• Saba Iordanishvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Gene-environment interactions in atherosclerotic dyslipidemias.”
• Tamar Tatrishvili (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), project “Isolation of phages from the human urinary tract microbiome and assessment of their therapeutic potential.”
• Sopio Nakvetauri (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), the project “Diversity and ecology of fish helminths in the river Mtkvari.”
• Lia Kurtsikidze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Business, Technology and Education of Ilia State University), project “Preschool teachers’ use of Pyramid Model strategies to promote young children’s social and emotional competences.”
• Albert Buzaladze (Doctoral student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine of Ilia State University), the project “Seismic Waves Attenuation in Georgia.”

The goals of the call are: Developing intellectual potential and ensuring high-quality scientific personnel; Targeted use of intellectual potential in higher education institutions; Providing the necessary environment for scientific research; Integrating young scientists into the international scientific community; Identification of young, talented scientists and supporting their research in adhering to international standards; Advancing the quality of research in the country; Increasing the academic level of Ph.D. educational programmes across the country.

Congratulations to the Ph.D. students on this significant achievement!

2022