EARMA Conference Oslo

Attracting talent to Small and Medium-sized public Universities (SMU)

Strategies to attract the best early-stage and consolidated researchers

Format: Fifteen-Minute Discussion Tables

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Organising Support Services & Team Building

Small and medium sized public universities (SMU) face challenges when have to recruit scientist for their research projects and teaching activity.
Location, research environment (infrastructure, connections, facilities, research excellence of hosting research groups), position in rankings may not help on being attractive to the best scientists.
However, some SMU are getting very good results, managing a process of continuous improvement. Everyone has his own recipe and secret ingredients… but what are the key actions and the common patterns?
The session will present the experience of a group of SMU that are facing this challenge, with case studies on the actions undertaken to make working conditions attractive, to align strategy policy and actions, to use regional, national and EU funding to reach the goals.
In addition, focus will be made on what are the prerequisites to frame those single actions in a sustainable strategy. Having a good dedicated budget is important, but it may be not enough if governance commitment, long term plans, top support services are missing.

MSCA Cofund management

A discussion on the opportunities, challenges and lessons learned.

Format: Fifteen-Minute Discussion Tables

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Project Management

Cofunds foster excellence in researchers' training, mobility and career development, spreading the best practices of Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and form the next generation of research leaders. Ireland, through its several higher education institutions and research centres, has secured 17 cofunds to date in areas such as Arts & Humanities, ICT Standards, Software Engineering and Advanced Materials. This session is aimed at project managers who are currently managing MSCA cofunds and those in the process of setting up their grants, and it will discuss the challenges of running such programme. This 15-min round table will discuss 2 main topics in managing cofunds: i) Dissemination of the call and its evaluation process; and ii) Training and development. 4 PMs with different levels of expertise will stir the discussion and capture lessons learned from participants. We will focus on lessons learned, issues and their solutions, and processes that the different PMs have encountered along the post-award journey of their Grants. In each table, we will also discuss the impact that the pandemic has caused in the proper execution of the programmes focusing on how the PMs overcame those issues. Learning outcomes from this session include main issues to watch out for when managing a cofund; ideas for support and collaborative opportunities within a network of cofund managers and NCP, and how to maximize training and development opportunities. At the end of this session, we expect to have captured a comprehensive idea of the issues that all attendees have faced and we will put together a report with our findings for dissemination to the EARMA network (JoRMA).

Applying eight communication management principles in a research organization

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Policy, Strategy, Evaluation and Foresight

The discussion on how to manage organizations effectively has been ongoing for decades but problems persist and the research organizations make no exception here. “My door is open” is a sentence that belongs to every manager's vocabulary. What does it mean in reality? And how can a manager apply this policy in virtual teams? This study dives into these practices and experiences gained through experimentation with creating strong communication practices at TalTech, Estonia. 

European developments as catalyser for advancing EU research support

Example of UASNL

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Policy, Strategy, Evaluation and Foresight

Practice based research, next to education and innovation, has become an important pillar of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). Accordingly, development of EU strategy and research support at UAS has picked up the pace. Over the last decade, UAS have started to contribute to the European research landscape, establishing valuable research collaborations with international partners in order to tackle societal challenges together.
In this context, we would like to share our experiences with establishing a national network of UAS, which affected different levels of research support. Our main observations are a) that this external organisation accelerated also internal support processes in each organisation, and b) collaboration rather than competition has advanced the EU readiness of all partners.

How To Utilize Tools for EU Project Management

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Project Management

There are many reasons for fragmentation in EU
project management except from freedom of choice. Among them we can note the
following: Firstly, EU Projects change in terminology and in financial measures
every now and then, secondly, the people who manage projects constantly vary.What do we do differently? We assume that it is equally
important to manage communication of a project, rather than to manage the tasks
of the project. Hence, we built on an approach that the tool need not to manage
the project as such, but the communication of the project, in a way that will
suit EU consortia. 

In this
session we will share some practices, thoughts, and tips on how to implement
such tools properly, with a demonstration of a specific tool (Basecamp) that is
being used successfully. Aspects such as desired modus operandi, business model
and degree of access rights, as well as proposed “mapping” of a typical EU
project to the tool. This session will be very useful for experienced project
managers who seek ways to improve their skills and professionalism in handling
complex EU projects.

Supporting Europe-Africa Partnerships in R&I

Insights from a Decade-long Experience

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: International

Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação – SPI (http://www.spieurope.eu) was created in 1996 as an active centre of national and international networks connected to the research and innovation sectors. Being involved in projects worldwide, SPI has become a leading promoter of linkages between research organisations, private sector companies, science and technology institutions, and national and international public and private organisations. After more than a decade working in projects that target African countries, SPI has gained relevant experience in supporting Europe-Africa partnerships in Research and Innovation. SPI has an overall knowledge of the business and institutional landscape in Africa, which enables its team to identify the rising opportunities for R&I collaborations between European and African individual researchers and research organisations.

The future of European research depends on its ability to build long-term partnerships through which it can assert its relevance in overcoming global challenges through research and innovation. Today, some of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa, a continent that has been relatively forgotten for R&I collaboration purposes. Not only is Africa a neighbour continent of Europe, as it has been attracting more and more interest on the part of the European Commission and its cooperation initiatives, namely those announced in the EU Global Approach to Research and Innovation, and the EU Comprehensive Strategy with Africa. As a European organisation which has built valuable bridges with African stakeholders, SPI has been contributing to the development of networks that strengthen and connect EU and African ecosystems.

What opportunities have arisen for European researchers to engage with African researchers and entrepreneurs? What are the strengths of organisations from one continent and the other? What are the regional and global challenges that can and should be looked through a partnership of equals between Europe and Africa? What are African Union and European Union’s research priorities? Based on the company’s past and present experience, and highlighting the ENRICH in Africa project, SPI’s Board Member Dr. Sara Medina will provide valuable insights on the aforementioned questions to all interested stakeholders.

What to expect when organising a conference?

Experience gathered over years of conference organisation

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: EARMA and professional associations

EARMA organises a professional conference every year and the main actor on the substance of the conference is the Annual Conference Programme Committee (ACPC). Both Zuolo and Maunula are long standing members of this committee and have years of experience in organising international and national live and digital conferences. Maunula is the current Chair of the ACPC. The Annual Conference aims at bringing together the most relevant and informative speakers in research management and administration, sharing their knowledge with the largest community of Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) in Europe. Over the last years, we have gathered close to 1,000 people in different locations and close to 700 people fully online in 2021.

foRMAtion educational module for future RMAs

Lessons learnt and impacts measured

Format: Oral 30 Minutes

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Professional Development and Recognition

The project foRMAtion developed an elective educational module for university students to provide a glimpse on the RMA profession. The uniqueness of the project and the solutions found aim to support the successful take-up of the educational module by any universities and contribute to the better awareness of the profession and preparedness of potential career entrants. The short-term impacts have already been detected at various levels, such as the level of the students, the teachers and researchers, as well, as of the university administration and leadership underlying the relevance of the module. The questions raised and possible strategies of knowledge transfer to other university settings will be presented and discussed with the audience.

Establishing a cohesive cross-functional RMA team through Covid and beyond

Format: Pecha Kucha

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Project Management

RMA in a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary research centre presents many learning experiences for the RMA profession. How do we ensure compliance with a multitude of institutional and departmental practices and engage effectively to maximise synergy with local RMA support, while ensuring duplication is avoided? How do we ensure effective collaboration across both pre and post-award stages especially when faced with the challenging remote working conditions resulting from Covid? This Pecha Kucha, highlights our attempt to address such questions.Our research centre, the ADAPT Centre, is a nationally funded centre of excellence for Digital Content Technology involving eight Higher Education Institutions across three provinces in Ireland. We support over 300 researchers from numerous disciplines including Computer, Social and Health Sciences. Our RMA team, or Research Development Team (RDT), includes 3 FTE pre and 3 FTE post-award specialists. Our remit spans all activities from call horizon scanning, concept ideation and development to submission, award, project set up, management, reporting and completion, i.e. the full lifecycle. There is no one size fits all or best practice model for providing RMA in this setting and our team has evolved to cater to the needs of our researchers striving to work optimally within our affiliated institutions, through open lines of communication with all stakeholders.Establishing a Cohesive Cross-Functional Team: Pre-Covid, the crossover between the pre and post-award RMA occurred during a monthly meeting. During Covid we pivoted our operations to meet virtually bi-weekly, troubleshoot daily via Slack and prioritise regular strategic planning days. Each team member has past experience working in typical “siloed” RMA roles and this schedule has emphasised the enormous benefits of pre- and post-award experts working together regularly with constant two way knowledge sharing.Feedback on the practicalities of day to day post-award project management continuously expands the knowledge of the pre-award specialists, while content at proposal development stage is reviewed and critiqued by the post-award specialists. Strategic horizon scanning to identify follow-on funding for existing projects in advance of projects ending becomes naturally systematic. Resources and templates for EU project coordination and implementation including project handbooks, intranet structures, reporting requirements, and even essential agenda items etc. can be shared and streamlined across projects and standardised as deliverables at pre-award. ​Seamless project execution from the kick-off is also enabled with continual support and knowledge handover from the pre-award specialists who were involved during writing and submission. Relationships with applicants as well as partner organisations are further strengthened through a consistent channel of support.Operating across multiple institutions: Our modus operandi is to work harmoniously with our partner institutions RMA practices and complement and collaborate with the existing support provided while ensuring compliance with local processes. Communication is crucial with the relevant divisions, Research Offices, Contracts Sections, Heads of Schools, Deans and Directors of Research. We prioritise maintaining knowledge of local procedures and any changes to such. Strong working relationships with our RMA counterparts are invaluable and are core to our RDT’s mission.Learning outcomes of this session are aimed at research managers, both pre and post-award, at any career stage. We hope to provide a comprehensive picture of the benefits we have discovered through Covid of a cross-functional RMA set up.

EEA BALTIC RESEARCH PROGRAMME -

A unique opportunity to promote regional cooperation between scientists, research institutions, national policy makers and policy implementers

Format: Poster

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: International

MAIN GOAL: Enhance research performance of the Baltic States at the international level and increase cooperation between the Baltic and EEA regions. 
CURRENT STATUS: 28 high-level projects with a total budget of € 23 million will be implemented through international cooperation by April 2024.  RMAs in each of the Baltic countries manage the implementation of projects funded through their calls for proposals. 
WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAMME UNIQUE?• It addresses common challenges of the Baltic region by promoting closer cooperation between the Baltics and facilitating cooperation with donor countries. • It is a significant incentive for researchers to gain new experience in leading large-scale international projects, as well as to expand collaboration and achieve new scientific results. • Researchers from all participating countries had the opportunity to network before preparing project applications. • 1 programme, but 3 open calls, launched by each of the Baltic States, which offers a unique opportunity to RMAs to work together. • One strategic decision-making body - a joint programme committee consisting of experts from Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. WHAT DO WE LOVE IN OUR PROGRAMME? • The atmosphere of communication and collaboration between colleagues in the partner countries is inspiring. • The programme community could be portrayed as a friendly and helpful multicultural family. • Regular exchange of information, knowledge and experience and capacity building of those involved in project implementation and monitoring. • It is a great opportunity to support creative and diverse project teams that develop new research directions and promote international collaboration and the growth of researchers. LESSONS LEARNT Challenge 1: Different practices and implementation provisions • The knowledge and experience gained in solving challenges related to different approaches and regulatory frameworks to create a programme on equal terms in all three Baltic States. • Consultations of research institutions on calls organized by other countries and their requirements, as well as advising PPs during the implementation phase. • Establishing of institutional framework of each country for the implementation of the programme.  Challenge 2: Timely opening of the call for proposals • Time pressure to launch a call to allow for a more flexible time frame for project implementation. • No one can start preparing a programme too early. • Harmonization of documents is always more time consuming than one can expect. • Diversity of choices and solutions for IT systems used in different application and implementation phases. • Effective cooperation between other RMAs in participating countries is crucial.  Challenge 3: Organizing international events and remotely if needed  • Despite long experience in organizing information events, it has still been possible to acquire new skills (eg organising a matchmaking event for more than 200 participants from different countries). • The pandemic situation has led to organising the remote events and meetings, together with a challenge to make them as effective as the real ones. It has been possible only thanks to a motivated team. • Different implementation phases as well as planning of joint activities create a constant need for close collaboration between RMAs. Regular meetings are vital to discuss current issues, share best practices and learn from each other's experiences.

Research management experiences and needs of researchers in India

Format: Poster

Category: Operational Lessons Learned

Topic: Organising Support Services & Team Building

The scope of public health research is growing in India, creating the need for effective and efficient pre and post grant management systems in research organizations. The growing demand for grant management services is justified considering the responsibility toward funding agencies and other stakeholders. The key to efficient implementation of research projects is a dedicated research office with skilled personnel and efficient systems. Under the India Research Management Initiative (IRMI) Fellowship, an online survey and qualitative interviews were conducted to understand the research management experiences and needs of researchers in India. This survey was conducted to facilitate the setting up of central research office within local research organizations and to build capacity of researchers and support in pre and post award processes. Currently, management of research grants at local organizations in India is entirely dependent on the Principal Investigator (and his/her team). While it is essential for research teams to possess relevant research management skills, in the long term, it creates significant burden on individuals who can be distracted from focusing on the research priorities and goals of the funded projects. Also, although the research teams comprise of qualified clinical/research staff, most do not have grant management training. A good research management practices that are implemented by a project or research group do not systematically get scaled up across the organisation.
India’s growing research portfolio necessitates the development of a bespoke research office catering to the grant management needs across the organisation. A well established research office in an organization will provide strong centralized leadership through personnel with a high level of administrative and financial acumen, and with relevant experience of dealing with research funding. We particularly need to (1) develop and strengthen specialist knowledge and experience of research management (none of our current centralised staff have research management-related training), and (2) expand the numbers of staff to manage the increasingly large organisational workload, and train these staff in basic research management practices.

The online survey was initiated to understand the needs and existing support systems for researchers in India and qualitative interviews were conducted to get insight into the findings from the survey.

The research management survey is aim further to examine the strengths and gaps in the research ecosystem in India. We particularly need to:
(1) Develop and strengthen specialist knowledge and experience of research management in India.
(2) Build capacity of young researchers to respond to growing need for efficient and effective grant management.
The survey and qualitative interview findings will be used to
1. Develop Standard operating procedure (SOP) and policies to guide research organizations locally in the Indian research ecosystem.
2. Develop a report to highlight gaps and opportunities.