Budapest, October 23, 2025 — The EU-funded RM Framework project marked an important milestone this week with two events: the General Assembly and Pilot Testers Meeting on October 21, followed by the 1st Outreach Event on October 22 at Europe Point, Budapest. Together, these gatherings highlighted the project’s growing momentum in shaping a shared European framework for Research Management (RM) training and professional development.
Collaborative Progress: The General Assembly and Pilot Testers Meeting
The first day of the meeting series opened with the RM Framework General Assembly, where partners reviewed the progress of ongoing work packages and discussed the further development of the Handbook — a competence-based, flexible guide that sets practical guidelines for RM training across Europe. This key deliverable will serve as a central reference in building consistent and high-quality programmes.
During the assembly, participants reflected on the project’s wider mission and its relevance for national and institutional contexts. As Nik Claesen, Managing Director of EARMA, emphasised:
“We don’t want more than recognition at EU level, the big game changers are in the member states. The time is now.”
This call to action was echoed by Teodora Konach, Head of Professional Development at EARMA, who highlighted the importance of practicality and impact:
“We look for feasibility and practical solutions that can be tested. This is a current goal — to assess feasibility and explore ways of establishing a quality level.”
In addition, EARMA’s Policy and Projects Officer Blanka Csite emphasised the importance of maintaining flexibility in identifying the most suitable solution for the quality label approach, while Policy and Projects Officer Janina Bau highlighted the relevance of including early-career research managers within this framework.
In the afternoon, the event welcomed pilot testers from six European countries, representing diverse institutions and training environments. Each tester presented their existing RM training programme and shared good practices from their organisations. The session also featured a presentation, followed by an interactive workshop, where testers explored the draft Handbook and provided valuable feedback to support its development.
Reflecting on the collaborative spirit of the day, Virág Zsár, Senior International Advisor at HÉTFA Research Institute, reminded participants that effective training is not only about content delivery but about engagement and growth:
“Training should not be about pouring information into participants’ heads, but about the learning process itself.”
Building Bridges: The 1st Outreach Event
The following day, on October 22, the project opened its doors to a broader audience during the RM Framework 1st Outreach Event. This event introduced the project’s vision, structure, and initial outputs, while providing an open forum for dialogue among stakeholders.
Participants included research managers, training providers, and other representatives from academia, RPOs, NCPs, and associations from Europe and beyond. The agenda featured updates on European policy developments in Research Management, insights from international experts, sharing of best practices from beyond Europe (SRA International and ARMS), as well as opportunities to exchange experiences and feedback on the RM Framework’s preliminary results.
The Outreach Event also reinforced the project’s inclusive approach, which values co-creation and stakeholder engagement to encourage shared ownership of the framework’s development. The final session, the RM Training Talk Roundtable, offered a platform for discussion on challenges and needs that aim to strengthen the European RM community.
For those who could not attend in person, the full event recording is available on EARMA's YouTube channel. Watch now.
A Step Forward for Research Management in Europe
The two-day meeting series underscored the RM Framework consortium’s commitment to fostering professional growth, community collaboration, and quality standards in research management. As the project progresses, these early engagements will play a crucial role in shaping a framework that is feasible, relevant, and sustainable, supporting both the recognition and professionalisation of research managers across Europe.
About the RM Framework project
The RM Framework is a 24-month, EU-funded project coordinated by the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA). Running from 2025 to 2027, the project aims to create a European Framework for Research Management, offering shared tools, standards, and training approaches that enhance the quality and comparability of RM practices across Europe.
For more information, visit the project website: rm-framework.eu
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