1. Tim R.L. Fry School of Economics, Finance & Marketing
How to Manage a Research Project or “What do I do now I’ve got the grant?”
Tim R.L. Fry
School of Economics, Finance & Marketing

2. What is a Project?
A planned undertaking [according to the webster dictionary]
A one-time endeavor, delineated by a start and a completion
A typical project will have:
A charter (or mission)
Requirements/Specifications
Deliverable(s)
Resources (people, money, materials, time, knowledge)
Constraints
Risks
Deadline(s)
The project manager is the facilitator for the project
Project Management is a “role” someone must play
Project Management deals with the art and science of making projects happen!

3. Why need Project Management?
Project Complexity
Division of responsibilities - specialization
Knowledge & Expertise – breadth vs.depth
A typical tri-partite project leadership model:
Business Lead – owner of the purpose (know why)
Technical Lead – subject matter expert (know how)
Project Manager – make happen (know when; know who)
All Three – work as a team (all must know what)

4. What do good project managers do?
They Manage the entire Project Life Cycle and make sure it aligns with the vision & mission (strategy & charter)
They Make Things Happen
They Manage Resources :
Time
Money
People
Intellectual Capital
To Drive :
Efficiency
Productivity
Effectiveness, &
Optimal Deployment of Resources

5. How do they do it? They Organize the Team They Plan & schedule
They Manage the
Deliverables
Resources – time, money, people, knowledge
Priorities
Expectations
Risks
Project Life Cycle
They Communicate
They Monitor and Measure (set up metrics)
They Document
They Review, and make sure lessons are learned

6. Some PM tools & jargon Organization, organizational behavior
Tasks, work breakdown structures
Milestones, deadlines, on-time
Network diagrams, PERT, CPM, Gantt Charts, Project plans
Justification, budget, variance
Status, reporting, communications
Responsibilities, ownership, respect, trust
Collaboration, teamwork, community
Intellectual capital management, knowledge re-use
Post mortem
Quality, excellence

7. What did you get and what do you need?
Great to get the funding but were you:
Exactly funded?
Assuming that you correctly budgeted and costs haven’t changed then the project is on the starting grid.
Over funded?
Maybe you padded the budget or costs are not as high as projected.
Under funded?
Maybe the project wasn’t fully funded (time or funds cut) or costs have risen.

8. What did you promise? Revisit the project
Can it still be done?
Do you have to modify and, if so, how?
Is it still viable?
Can the stated outputs still be delivered?
Return to the funding body (bodies) for clarification.
Seek new or extra funds from elsewhere
Is this feasible?

9. On the starting grid Large amounts of paperwork to attend to!
Contract/Funding Agreement/Letter of Engagement
Terms and conditions. Timelines. Reporting requirements.
Prepare your budget
When does the income arrive?
What are you spending money on?
When is the expenditure required?
What are the rules – funding body and university – concerning expenditures?

10. Working with others
You will need to work closely with others to get onto and off the starting grid and throughout the project.
Funding body (bodies)
Research & Innovation
Head of School and College office
Financial Services Group (via your Finance Manager)
People Services

11. Starting the project
Most projects will involve you working with others
These could be others “on the grant” who might be
“equals”, “junior”, “senior” researchers
Do researchers need to be recruited?
Assistants, Associates, Fellows.
Are these recruits to hand or where might we find them?
How long will it take to recruit? Can they be found?

12. Running the project
Manage your time, resources (people, equipment, money, space)
Does your school actually have the space and other resources required?
Budgets need to be assessed on a regular basis
Manage others’ time and resources
Deal with administrative issues such as time sheets
Hit milestones.
Produce Progress Reviews
Produce Reports/Outputs

13. Closing thoughts
Successfully managing your successful research project requires a number of skills
Time management skills
Resource management skills
People management skills
Negotiation skills
Project management skills
NOT the skills that you made you successful in getting your project funded!
RMIT University©

14. Remember you actually have to do the research!
One last thought …

15. Project managements in practice
Project Coordination (GANTT)
Meetings and communication flows
Deliverables
Milestones
Financial issues

16. Communication structures / Communication flows
Meetings (scopi differenti)
Phone conferences
Web-based communication platforms (extranet)
Internal newsletter,…
Reporting structures
Meetings:

17. Deliverables
Example one (basic)
Example two (application and results)

18. Milestones
One example

19. Financial issues

20. 1.Payment modalities
One pre-financing (upon entry into force) for the whole duration
Interim payments based on financial statements (payment = cost accepted * funding rate)
Retention (10%)
Final payment

21. 2. Eligible Costs (1) Eligible
actual*
during duration of project
in accordance with its usual accounting and management principles
recorded in the accounts of benficiary
non-eligible (identifiable indirect taxes including VAT…)

22. 2. Eligible Costs (2) *Average personnel costs accepted if :
Consistent with the management principles and accounting practices &
they do not significantly differ from actual personnel costs= if identified according to a methodology approved by the Commission (NEW)

23. 3. Indirect Cost : For all:
either actual overhead or simplified method
flat rate of 20% of direct costs minus subcontracting and 3rd parties not used on the premises of the beneficiary.
For Non profit Public Bodies, Secondary and Higher Education establishments, Research Organisations and SMEs unable to identify real indirect costs, may apply for a flat rate of 60% for funding schemes with RTD.

24. 4. Certification (1)
Certification will be provided on the basis of “Agreed Upon Procedure” (AUP)
AUP the auditor provides information according to a specific format specified via agreed terms of reference (ToR)
ToR is annexed to the grant agreement (Annex VII)
AUP is derived from common practice in audits and corresponds to international audit standards
2 types of AUP: Report of factual findings on
expenditure verification
system verification

25. 4. Certification (2)
Certificate on financial statements (CFS) = AUP for expenditure verification
Mandatory when requested funding reaches 375,000 Euro (except for project of 2 years or less: the CFS is submitted at the end)
Mandatory for every beneficiary, except if a certification on the methodology is provided
Not legally binding

26. 4. Certification (3)
Certificate on the methodology= AUP for system verification
aims at certifying the methodology of calculating (average) personnel costs and overhead rates
Valid throughout FP7, on a voluntary basis, must be accepted by EC
Particularly aimed at legal entities with multiple participation
Waives the obligation of certificates for interim payments
Simplified certificate for final payments

27. 4. Certification (4) Advantages of system certification :
The EC will receive consistent certifications and cost claims cleaned from errors
Beneficiaries will gain legal security
Beneficiaries in many projects will have to submit less certificates
EC and beneficiaries will have less processes to handle: less certificates
EC gains significantly in terms of assurance on legality and regularity

28. 4. Certification (5) Who can provide these certificates :
Qualified auditors under the 8th Directive
Independent
Public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and research organisations may opt for a competent public officer

29. 5. Third party contribution and subcontracts
Third parties carrying part of the work
Subcontracts: tasks have to be indicated in Annex I
awarded according to best value for money
External support services may be used for assistance in minor tasks (not to be indicated in Annex I)
Specific cases: EEIG, JRU, affiliates carry out part of the work (special clause)
Third parties making available resources
“Third parties”: to be indicated in Annex I,
Costs may be claimed by the beneficiary
Resources “free of charge” may be considered as receipts

31. Reporting (1)
Periodic reports to be submitted by coordinator 60 days after end of period:
- progress of the work
- use of the resources and
- Financial Statement (Form C)
Final reports to be submitted by coordinator 60 days after end of project:
- publishable summary report, conclusions and socioeconomic impact
- covering wider societal implications and a plan on use and dissemination of results

32. Reporting (2)
Commission has 105 days to evaluate and execute the corresponding payment
No tacit approval
After reception Commission may:
Approve
Suspend the time-limit requesting revision/completion
Reject them giving justification, possible termination
Suspend the payment

33. Dissemination Define stakeholders Dissemination Plan Presentations
Accademia, Industria, Consumer groups, general public
Dissemination Plan
Websites, Pubblications, Workshop for industry
Presentations
Always make use of project template
Prepare flyers
following the template
Prepare newsletter
Translate it in all languages
Events
At least one event at the end of the project