Project offices at EU Universities - best practices of BRIDGE Partners
In April 2025, Kyiv School of Economics organized the seminar "Project offices at EU Universities - best practices of BRIDGE Partners"
In April 2025, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) organized the seminar "Project offices at EU Universities - best practices of BRIDGE Partners" as part of Work Package 4 "Improving research management and administration at KSE", within the BRIDGE project.
This seminar was an important opportunity to exchange best practices for organizing the work of project offices at leading European higher education institutions. As part of the BRIDGE project, KSE is establishing a Research Support Unit designed to assist researchers in securing grants and building strong partnership networks.
The seminar provided an in-depth introduction to well-established international approaches, many of which we have already begun integrating into our internal processes. The knowledge gained not only broadened our perspective but also helped us outline concrete steps in the roadmap for launching this new unit. We are confident that this initiative will enhance the competitiveness of KSE’s research and strengthen our presence in the global academic community.
Our partners in the BRIDGE project - Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Technical University of Berlin (Germany) and University of Tartu (Estonia) - joined the event and shared best practices regarding the structure, roles, and functions of their project and grant offices, as well as the core services they provide to researchers and research groups.
In his welcome address to the participants of the meeting, Rector of KSE Tymofii Brik said:
“This is one of the projects that can support us as a University, and I believe it can also help bring Ukraine closer to the European Union. We are also very proud to have the opportunity to act as the Coordinator of an EU Horizon Europe program project - there are only about 10 such cases in Ukraine. With the support of this project, we will be able to further develop our research capacities, which are highly important for the Government, for the nation, and ourselves.”
Viktoriia Biliaieva, the Head of the Grant Writing Unit at the University of Tartu, presented an overview of the university’s research support structure. The Grant Office, established in 2018, provides comprehensive services throughout the entire project lifecycle - from identifying funding opportunities to supporting final audits. Since its establishment, the Grant Writing Unit, a team of seven, has assisted in submitting 250 proposals, securing over €62 million in funding for the university, with a success rate of 27%.
“The Grant Office’s services cover the full lifecycle of a project - from disseminating information about funding opportunities through regular newsletters to providing support during final audits,” Viktoriia noted.
Kim Wever, Research Project Manager at Erasmus University Rotterdam, presented various forms of research support available at the university. In this case, the project management system is decentralized and consists of project offices at each of the 11 faculties.
Dr. Elke Gehweiler from the Technical University Berlin presented the university’s services for researchers who are planning and implementing EU-funded projects. She also spoke about TU Berlin’s participation in the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programs. The University provides financial support to research teams, reviews proposals, conducts project preparation training, and offers post-award services such as organizing kickoff meetings, negotiating contracts, and managing financial reporting.
Kostyantyn Kyrychenko, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at KSE, stated in his address:
“The establishment of the Research Support Unit at KSE will support the university’s dynamic development and strengthen its global presence. It is highly important for us to draw on the experience of universities around the world, adapting best practices to our own operations. Our goal is to expand our network of international partnerships and engage in recognized expert teams through global projects that address key research challenges.”
The launch and active operation of the Research Support Unit at KSE are planned for 2025.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.