As the RM ROADMAP project nears completion, this session will highlight its achievements, discuss challenges encountered, and lasting impact on the European research management landscape. Over the past years, RM ROADMAP has fostered a truly community-driven and participatory approach, co-creating solutions with research managers, institutions, and policymakers to elevate research management as a profession and strengthen its role in shaping research excellence.
The first part of the session will provide an overview of the project’s most significant outputs, presented by work package leaders and project coordinators. A central achievement has been the development of consensus documents, co-created with stakeholders across Europe. These documents reflect a shared vision for the future of research management, addressing core challenges and proposing actionable solutions for sustainable growth in the field.
RM ROADMAP successfully gathered extensive evidence on the European research management landscape through a comprehensive survey, which attracted unprecedented number of respondents compared to previous initiatives. This robust dataset offers a unique and detailed insight into the profession, its challenges and the multifaceted nature of Research Managers across the entire European Research Area.
Another pillar of RM ROADMAP has been its Knowledge and Community Platform, a space designed to facilitate dialogue, share best practices, and connect research managers across disciplines and national borders. This platform has enabled hundreds of professionals to exchange expertise, contribute to policy discussions, and collectively shape the European Research Area’s research management ecosystem.
A demonstration of the project’s participatory nature is the RM ROADMAP Ambassadors network, a vibrant and engaged group of research managers who have played a key role in promoting the project’s vision at local, national, and international levels. These Ambassadors have helped ensure that the project’s outcomes are not just theoretical but validated and embedded into real-world research management practices.
The second part of the session will bring the RM ROADMAP Ambassadors to the forefront through an interactive discussion, where they will share their experiences, reflections, and personal insights on how the project has influenced their work. Attendees will be invited to actively participate, posing questions and exchanging ideas on how the momentum generated by RM ROADMAP can be sustained beyond its official conclusion.
This session is not just about looking back at what has been accomplished – it is about shaping what comes next. Research managers and stakeholders across Europe are invited to join the conversation, contribute their perspectives, and help build on the foundations set by RM ROADMAP to ensure that research management continues to thrive as a recognised and essential profession.
