Abstract

Project Manager might be one of the most over used titles to describe the role and profession behind the administrative and/or coordinating support provided to and in EU funded research projects. With that said all under the umbrella of “Project Manager” does not belong there. The confusion between what a Project Manager is and does, differs between countries, universities and even between projects at the same faculty, which may be utterly harmful for the profession. Where should we draw the line between our tasks and assignments, such as assisting the research project with the financial-, technical reporting, collecting e.g. gender or bibliometric-data, collecting internal signatures on CA/GA or proactively leading and coordinating entire tasks and work packages, driving the project forward?

The session will discuss three interconnected topics regarding the role and profession of the Project Manager. This will be done via a combination of short introductions scoping the framework and rotating parallel discussion tables, where each discussion will be hosted by one of the authors. All session participants will join their efforts around each topic, brainstorming and collecting their knowledge. The outcome of the discussion will be made available to all participants afterwards.

The issues to be discussed when we dive into the shadow landscape of the project management profession will be; what does it imply to have the title of a Project Manager, and what stands behind it when we compare the title and the tasks performed. We will also discuss what could be done with the under-appreciation of the role, the hidden tasks performed that the PI’s are not aware of, and how we could increase the visibility and the appreciation of the role. The third topic to be discussed will focus on the development of project managers, the need and availability of courses to become and improve us as Project Managers, and if there is any advantage of having a background as a researcher.

Discussions on these topics will be essential to bring the role of project management to the next level and remove the confusion and shadows surrounding the profession. This will not only benefit the Project Managers themselves but also the quality of the research projects and the interaction with EC.