On 24–26 March 2026, the KSE team — comprising Kostyantyn Kyrychenko, Lyubov Zinyuk, Olha Fedoryshyn, Viktoriia Pankratova, and Yuliia Rutkova — visited Erasmus University Rotterdam. This was the third of a series of planned study visits within the BRIDGE project. These visits aim to learn from European experience in grant management and integrate it into the activities of the KSE International Projects Office.

The first day focused on how the grant support system is organised at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Colleagues from the Netherlands presented their approaches to dividing responsibilities between administrative staff and researchers. Project managers are responsible for identifying funding opportunities, preparing budgets, and reporting, allowing researchers to focus on their academic work.

The first day also included a discussion of trends in research funding: how donor priorities are evolving, how competition is increasing, and how the importance of interdisciplinarity is growing.

On the second day, the Erasmus University team introduced Ukrainian colleagues to their approach to ethics review and data management. They presented the Data Management Plan (DMP), which defines how data should be collected, stored, and protected. They also discussed the FAIR principles, which ensure that data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

The day concluded with a discussion on the nuances of financial management. Participants reviewed the differences between lump sums and direct costs grants, as well as the importance of accurate accounting to ensure successful audits. 

On the third day, the team focused on applying the knowledge gained to the work of the KSE International Projects Office. 

In particular, colleagues discussed:

• the distribution of roles and responsibilities within the team;
• the range of services to be provided to researchers;
• the model of collaboration with faculties and administrative units;
• the overall approach to grant support.

The focus was on solutions that help combine research activities with administrative support, making project preparation and implementation more structured and transparent.

We thank our colleagues at Erasmus University Rotterdam for the valuable experience, which will help KSE work more effectively with partnerships and launch new projects.