PhD PhD

If you were born between 21 August 1990 and 20 August 2004, your age fits the PhD track. (That is, from 22 to 35 years old as of 20 August 2026)

What you need to have completed

At least a Specialist degree or a Master's, whether you already hold it or will obtain it during the olympiad's academic year.

Age (as of 20 August 2026)

22 – 35 years old

Number of stages

3

⚠️ If you have completed a doctoral programme, this track isn't for you — see the post-doctoral track.

Winning here isn't decided by scores — it's decided by a person's agreement. That makes the interview more important than anything else in your track. 📌 Open Doors advises that a PhD applicant's motivation letter should include a summary of your thesis and your future research plan — closer to a research proposal than to a covering letter. Each subject page carries a "list of potential supervisors" and an "interview programme" — those are the two most important files for you.

Three stages: the portfolio competition, then solving the olympiad tasks online, then interviews with potential supervisors and PhD track directors (final).

📌 The portfolio competition is run jointly with the Master's track.

You become a winner if at least one supervisor agrees to supervise your research, or at least one track director nominates you for enrolment.

You receive the right to study under the quota with tuition covered, and a covered preparatory year if you need Russian.

⚠️ There is no "runner-up" status in this track — only winners and holders of "high achievement" status.