Towards a Europe-wide training and networking scheme for research managers

Research management can take many shapes: research policy advisers, research managers, financial support staff, data stewards, research infrastructure operators, knowledge transfer officers, business developers, knowledge brokers, innovation managers, etc. Entities and regions who are proven strong and excellent hubs in knowledge creation and innovation usually rely on a strong population of research managers.

This topic aims at improving training and skills development of research management staff, to develop better research and innovation management capacity and guidance for researchers across the entire ERA, as well as pave the way towards institutional acknowledgement of the research management profession.

Proposals are expected to map and analyse the EU landscape of research management and the financial framework to support it. They should address a wide scope of activities, such as trainings, study visits, staff exchange, internships, exchange of good practices, development of guidelines for new research managers and policy recommendations on how to deliver on research management under the new ERA.

It could include piloting a European network for research managers, including research infrastructures managers, through the integration of existing capabilities of Research Organisations, Higher Education Institutions and institutes, networks or umbrella organisations in research management. Projects are expected to generate a wide outreach to the European community of research managers, active across the ERA.

Proposals should explore the possibility to create new training paths dedicated to research support/management staff, or to optimise integration of existing recognised institutional training and certification programmes for research managers. Both these solutions should aim also at developing recommendations to strengthen existing schemes at EU level.