Abstract

Neither pre-award nor post-award, but sitting at the junction of both, Grant Agreement Preparation occupies a liminal position in the project lifecycle. The proposal has been successful, but funding is not yet guaranteed. The project already has an identity, but it isn’t yet a legal one. The legal documentation still needs to be prepared between the granting authority and the consortium. GAP is a transition phase, necessary but brief. Different organisations manage it differently. And sometimes there is an institutional gap there.

This presentation aims to explore both strategic and operational aspects of GAP support and project mobilisation, using as a launching point the case study of the introduction, in 2021, of a Mobilisation Officer in Trinity College Dublin. In addition, the speaker will provide beginner-friendly information on Grant Agreement Preparation for Horizon Europe projects, with a view to allowing newcomers to the RMA profession and/or GAP to provide effective support during this phase if they are called to do so.

The problem: GAP is a sensitive and timebound process, with multiple stakeholders. In organisations without dedicated project-management support during this phase or without a “cradle to grave” research office, Grant Agreement Preparation can be a challenging time for Principal Investigators coordinating an EU research project. There are deadlines. Much of the terminology used in the guidance is unfamiliar and legalistic. The Funding and Tenders portal can be hard to navigate for newcomers or occasional users. Partners need answers and guidance, and there may be moving parts: debates around preferred start dates, institutional processes with variable lead times, partners based in the UK, insufficiently responsive partners, etc. There is also the Consortium Agreement to prepare, and IPR discussions to be had (without speaking of ethics review, recruitment processes, etc. within the institution). The project manager is not yet in place, and the administrative load is high during those important early months.

One institution’s solution: In 2021, Trinity College Dublin’s Research and Innovation office created a Mobilisation Officer role, to fill a long-standing, recognised gap in the university’s provision of support to researchers. The Mobilisation Officer effectively acts as a one-stop-shop interim project manager for PIs coordinating Horizon Europe projects. By providing specialist support for the duration of Grant Agreement Preparation and the early stages of project set-up, the role bridges the gap between pre-award and post-award support, as well as complementing the work of the Research Contracts office.

Learning outcomes:
• Overview of GAP processes. Tips and tricks.
• Lessons learnt from Trinity College Dublin’s GAP-support pilots.
• Specialist vs generalist RMA roles.
• Strategic importance of GAP support: allowing Principal Investigators to focus more time and resources on scientific leadership and research.
• Benefits of feedback loop between post-award project managers and pre-award research officers, allowing iterative optimisation of budgets and feasibility assessments.