This paper discusses the challenges of expanding and deepening the cooperation of the RMA profession in the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as ways to bridge the gap in the knowledge and experience of RMA experts in the field of project management. The countries of the Western Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, and Slovenia) have been participating in framework programs for research and development since the first framework program of the European Community for research and technological development, either as The Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) or as Associated countries (AC). In the HEU program, all countries of the Western Balkans are recognized as Widening countries. As the EU has proposed the importance of strengthening the capacity of RMA in Widening counties as one of the essential mechanisms for Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, the formation of national RMA communities in this region has become inevitable. In the countries of the Western Balkans, there is an obvious deficit of personnel in the field of RMA, and the need for this type of professional development has been increasing in recent years. Additionally, this profession has become recognized at the national and regional levels by scientific research institutions and the academic community. As the problem faced by the countries of the Western Balkans was recognized, Serbia, as one of the leading countries in this area, started the process of widening and deepening the RMA profession by founding the organization SARMA (Serbian Association of Research Managers and Administrators). SARMA aims to raise awareness of the importance of the RMA profession, as well as establish links between research funding organizations and the scientific community. Another goal is to create a platform for improving cooperation between managers and administrators of scientific research projects, at the all levels. national, regional, and international levels.
