WEBINAR – Kick-off: how to prepare for a smooth project start?

The training Kick-off: how to prepare for a smooth project start? is planned in two sessions. In the first part “Utilizing Internal Kick-Off Meetings to enable Pre-Award to Post-Award Handover” the presenters will share how their institution approaches the transition from Pre-Award to Post-Award management, with a focus on internal kick-off meetings. By establishing a collaborative environment early on, a project kick-off meeting strengthens the relationship between researchers and research managers and therefore helps to prevent issues from arising later in the project. Close collaboration between Pre-Award and Post-Award staff is vital, particularly when dealing with complex grants, multiple partners, unforeseen circumstances, and so on. This process also prepares teams to navigate new funder regulations and audit requirements, ensuring that the project runs smoothly and remains compliant throughout its lifecycle.

Audience members will leave the session with practical tools and strategies they can apply at their own institutions, in order to manage grants more effectively, minimize potential issues, and build stronger relationships across their institution’s research management process.

During the second part “Navigating the External Kick-Off: Effective Strategies for EU Funded Projects” the critical aspects of conducting a successful external kick-off meeting for EU-funded projects will be explored. Participants will be guided through a fictional kick-off agenda, highlighting key points and strategies to ensure smooth collaboration among consortium partners. The discussion will cover essential topics such as setting clear objectives, defining roles and responsibilities, establishing communication protocols, and addressing potential challenges. Participants will be equipped with practical tools and insights to support researchers and coordinators, fostering a cohesive and productive project environment.

Join us to learn how to effectively manage the external kick-off process, minimize potential issues, and build strong, collaborative relationships across your project’s consortium.

Speakers:

Caroline Barbour

Caroline Barbour is the Senior Research Funding Associate and Pre-Award International team lead at King’s College London. She has worked in Pre-Award roles for over five years, mainly supporting applications to international funders, and is a member of both EARMA and NCURA. She currently manages a team who are responsible for supporting all European Commission and US government applications, award set-ups and contract negotiation at King’s. Her other interests include improving cross-department working and network-building between RMAs in order to provide a more holistic and efficient service to researchers.

Jessica Baralt

Jessica Baralt is the Research Grants Manager in the Post-Award International team at King’s College London. She is an accountant who has worked in the Post-Award department for over seven years, with the last two years focused on managing international funding. She leads a team of three, overseeing a portfolio of over 250 grants, with the main aim of offering a high-quality service to principal investigators (PIs) and their teams while also ensuring the accurate and timely submission of financial statements.

Sia Gosheva-Oney

Sia Gosheva-Oney is a research advisor and project manager at ETH Zurich. In this role, she advises researchers on EU- and US funding opportunities and negotiates research agreements. Moreover, Sia has been managing EU collaborative projects since 2018, lastly leading the Project Management WP of the ENCLUDE project, which concentrated on transformation of the energy system in Europe. Sia serves on the advisory board of the RMR magazine of NCURA.

Katrin Reschwamm

Katrin Reschwamm is a highly experienced and certified Senior Project Manager (IPMA-Level B) with a distinguished career in European funded projects dating back to FP5. She has a wealth of experience in both participating in and coordinating numerous EU projects. Her most recent project, “Harmony” at ETH, focused on the integration of robotics in healthcare. She joined the ETH Grants Office in 2021. Katrin has been an active member of the German Project Management Association (GPM) for over 20 years and has served on the Board of the Swiss Project Management Association (spm) for more than a decade. Her diverse project portfolio spans various research fields, including manufacturing, the internationalization of SMEs, life sciences, photovoltaics, and, most recently, robotics.