It was the second of three planned visits to strengthen the International Projects Office's capacity at KSE. Integrating proven European approaches to research and grant management is an important part of this process.

The visit was attended by representatives of the newly established International Projects Office at KSE: Kostyantyn Kyrychenko (Vice-Rector for International Cooperation), Lyubov Zinyuk (Manager for International Grant Projects, Grant writer), and Olha Fedoryshyn and Viktoriia Pankratova (Managers for International Grant Projects).

Over the course of three days, KSE colleagues worked with specialists from the EU Project Support Office at Technische Universität Berlin, learning about its structure, proposal approval procedures, and experience of participation in the Horizon Europe programme.

The Berlin team presented how support for researchers is organised throughout the entire project cycle — from the initial idea to final reporting. This model helps align the work of researchers and administrative teams and provides systematic support throughout the implementation of international projects.

KSE colleagues were introduced to the digital tools used at TU Berlin for project planning, financial control, and team coordination (university units implement 15–20 research projects simultaneously). They were also familiarised with the approach to preparing EU funding applications, including requirements related to research ethics, open access, and financial reporting.

During the training, the KSE team explored how responsibilities are distributed across grant projects: researchers prepare the substantive part of the proposal, project managers coordinate the process and review the documentation, faculties carry out internal evaluations, and administrative units ensure financial and formal compliance with funders’ requirements.

The KSE team also learned about the funding principles of the European Research Council (ERC), which supports research based on scientific excellence, including the structure of its programmes and the evaluation criteria that determine the competitiveness of applications.

We are grateful to the team at the Technical University of Berlin for their openness and willingness to share how research and grant projects are managed there. The experience gained will help the KSE team improve its internal processes and serve as a foundation for the further development of the International Projects Office.