Call for Offers: Courses on Project Management for early stage researchers

Deadline 30th August 2010

In the framework of its promotion activities for professional research management and training, the National Research Fund seeks to organise a series of training seminars for early stage researchers on project management during 3 to 4 days preferably on either of the following dates:

23, 24, 28, 29, 30 September or 1st, 2nd, 3rd October 2010

The training seminars on project management should cover a 1-day course for groups of up to 15 persons (same 1-day seminar structure, repeated 3-4 times - depending on the number of participants.

The participating researchers (approx. 50 PhD and postdoc AFR grant holders) were successfully selected for funding by the FNR under a call for proposals that took place during the first semester 2010.

The idea is that on the basis of their research proposals that were selected for funding by the FNR, participants will exercice project management tools in order to define their projects in advance for the full duration (which is 3 years for PhDs and 2 years for Postdocs).

According to the needs of the research community, the same series of seminars or a similar format may be repeated and possibly be open to other categories of researchers at a later stage.

The scientific nature of the PhD and postdoc projects as well as their research training features may require a specific approach for the project management course.

Participants should learn to define a structured work plan and time the main milestones in advance, including meetings with their supervisors or collaborating scientists as well as administrative staff, learn to structure the communication with stakeholders around their PhD or postdoc project, elaborate their training plans and possible stays abroad (conference participation, summerschools, etc) and manage in advance potential risks related to their projects.

The FNR invites interested companies in Luxembourg or abroad with experience in professional training provision, preferably with prior experience in research project management, to submit their offer for the 1-day course (repeated 3-4 times) indicating:

- the course programme
- the methodology
- the CV of the trainer
- references of past successful courses
- a cost offer per 1-day course and possible reductions for the repeated sessions.

The may include under a separate item the location and technical equipment (PC and overhead LCD); however the location may also be provided by the FNR, at the premises of the Chambre de Commerce at Luxembourg-Kirchberg or elsewhere, to be defined.

Offers will be selected on the basis of interest of the course programme, price and profile of the trainer. Prior experience in research project management by the course trainer will be considered an advantage.

Offers should be sent to the FNR until 30th August 2010 by email to ulrike.kohl@fnr.lu followed by signed original to the postal address of the FNR:

Fonds National de la Recherche
Service AFR
b.p. 1777
L-1017 Luxembourg

Companies will be informed until 6th September whether their offer is retained.