Head of Department for Research and Innovation Assoc. Prof. Viktorija Šimanauskienė / Personal archive
On 5 February 2024, Assoc. Prof. Viktorija Šimanauskienė, joined the community of the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University (VU MF). With a PhD in Social Sciences (Management), the professor has over 5 years leadership experience, extensive experience (over 13 years) in leading national and international projects, and also experience in management and administration. She is also the author and co-author of monographs, scientific studies, and articles.
Šimanauskienė has accumulated experience in the organisation of research and innovation activities, policy formation, the initiation of Research & Development & Innovation projects, diversification of funding and networking from her time at various institutions. She has also been involved in an innovation ecosystem development, and fostering cooperation and synergies between different stakeholders, business and research centres, and science and research institutions at the national and international level.
“In a dynamic, global reality affected not just by new technologies, or artificial intelligence, but also by pandemics and wars, adaptation to the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity) environment and the ability to change as the environment changes is becoming a necessity. A university is no exception. In order to not get lost, but to adapt – in an environment with an abundance of changes, the ever increasing and changing requirements for researchers, and aiming to ensure the General Data Protection Regulation, ethic and FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), and so on – it is important to ensure timely and maximum administrative and consultative support to researchers,” explained Šimanauskienė. She believes that only by reducing the administrative burden on researchers, can the growth of creative, scientific and innovative potential be ensured. “In order to develop high quality scientific activities, to ensure the attraction of external funds, the competitiveness of the VU MF in the international environment and the development of innovations, I will strive, together with the team at the MF’s Department for Research and Innovation, to build a community not walls, through collective leadership and synergy,” the new Head of Department for Research and Innovation, concluded.
Work experience:
- Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA) as Senior Policy Analyst and Acting Head of their Performance Management Group
- Since 2018 – at the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania as Senior Researcher, Expert and Director within the Centre for Defence Innovations
- From 2011 – she worked for almost a decade at Mykolas Romeris University as a member of the Research and Innovation Support Centre team