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The project manager’s responsibilities at the Faculty of Educational Sciences

The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the project achieves the promised results within the agreed budgets and established deadlines. Here you will find a description of the duties and tasks of the project manager throughout all phases of the project.

This page supplements the UiO guide to research projects. All project managers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the UiO guide.

Application phase

Identify and familiarise yourself with relevant announcements

The project manager must continuously monitor the publication of new calls to identify those that are relevant. Participation in information meetings arranged in connection with announcements is encouraged.

Further information about funding opportunities and upcoming announcements:

You can also get in touch with your local research adviser for assistance in identifying announcements that are relevant to you.

Research support at your unit.

Inform management and research support of the intention to apply

The project manager should, as early as possible, inform management and research support of their intention to apply for external funding. If the unit has procedures in place concerning the submission of project templates, these must be followed.

Please contact the research support early to discuss your needs for support for the proposal work. 

Research support at your unit.

First approval by head of unit

The project manager must, as early as possible, ensure that support for the application is anchored among unit management in line with the procedures applicable at your unit. The head of unit must approve the application initiative before proceeding with the application work.

The Faculty of Educational Sciences has a one page project template that can be used to communicate the concept to your head of unit.

Project managers at ISP must complete the department’s online form.

Research support at your unit.

Develop the project 

Writing an application is an extensive task. It is important to have adequate time available to write the application. The project manager must:

  • Develop the concept and project in collaboration with academic and administrative research support
  • Identify partners for projects, where this is relevant
  • Draw up an activity plan for the project

The research adviser will assist with project development by agreement. Get in touch with the research adviser at your unit at an early stage to discuss your needs for assistance.

Read more about:

Research support at your unit.

Proposal budgeting

All externally funded projects are required to have a total budget for the project. This means that all costs associated with the project must be shown in the budget, regardless of how the costs are covered.

The proposal budget must be drawn up in collaboration between the project manager and the finance officer. The project manager participates in budget meeting(s) with the officer. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that planned activities and resources are accounted for in the proposal budget.

Read more about:

Contact your finance officer in the finance section at the Faculty of Educational Sciences.

Contact with internal and external partners

The project manager:

  • Holds project meetings with potential partners
  • Obtains budget information, confirmation of participation and other necessary information for the application from the partners.
  • Ensures that the partner's participation in the project is clarified with the partner’s management

The research adviser and finance officer will assist with this by agreement.

Do you need partners for an EU application? There are several databases in which you can find potential collaborators.

The Faculty of Educational Sciences also has a tool for designing project consortiums based on project roles and functions.

Create application in the funder's portal

When the funder’s application portal opens, the project manager must create an application in the portal. It is important that your research adviser and finance officer are given access to the proposal in the portal.

If you need help from your research adviser to register and/or quality-assure the content in the portal, this must be agreed with the research adviser concerned in advance. 

Read more about:

Research support at your unit.

Final approval of proposal before submission

All applications must be anchored prior to submission. The head of department, who is the project owner, must approve the project and final proposal budget in good time before the call deadline.

The proposal budget must be approved before the application is submitted. The research support staff will assist with obtaining final approval after the budget has been finalised.

Research ethics and data protection

As a researcher, you have a personal responsibility and are required by law to make sure that your research is conducted in accordance with recognised norms of research ethics and in line with current institutional regulations.

All researchers at UV shall:

Are you not sure what requirements are needed for your project? Visit the overview of the requirements at the UiO (Norwegian) and contact your local research advicer. 

Read more about research ethics at the UiO (Norwegian).

Submitting an application

The project manager must submit the application in good time before the application deadline. This is done through the funder’s application portal or otherwise in line with applicable instructions for the announcement concerned.

After the application has been submitted, the project manager must submit a copy of the final application to the research adviser for archiving.

Research support at your unit.

In the event of a refusal, inform of the refusal and review feedback

When information about the refusal is received, the project manager must:

  • Inform all internally involved parties of the outcome, including the project owner and research support
  • Inform any partners of the outcome
  • Review the feedback and assess the possibility of further developing the application for another call
  • Submit a copy of the evaluation to the research adviser for archiving. 

Research support at your unit.

Award phase

Please also refer to the Faculty of Educational Sciences’ website concerning the process from project award to start (in Norwegian).

Informs of the award

When information about award is received, the project manager must inform all involved parties of the award, including the head of department and research support. If it is a larger project, the research adviser will convene a meeting to agree on the further process.

If the application is being coordinated by the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the project manager must also inform all project partners of the award.

Research support at your unit.

Pan for entering into contracts and the commencement of the project

When information about the award is received, the project manager must make a plan for commencement work based on information obtained from the research adviser.

The research adviser will invite you to a kick-off meeting if the project is of a certain size. Please see the meeting template for internal kick-off meetings at the Faculty of Educational Scineces.

Read more about:

  • The Faculty of Educational Sciences’ process from application to commencement (in Norwegian)
  • Entering into contracts with the Research Council of Norway
  • Entering into contracts with the EU

Contracts with funders and cooperation agreements with partners

The project manager will ensure that contracts are entered into with the funder, as well as cooperation agreements with any project partners. This also includes internal project partners from other units at the University of Oslo. This must take place within the deadlines set out by the funder. The University of Oslo’s contract templates must be used if available.

The contract must be signed before the project starts. Read more about signing contracts (in Norwegian).

The project manager may contact the research adviser for assistance.

Read more about:

Research support at your unit.

Obtaining the necessary approvals

Before the project starts to collect data, the project manager must assess the privacy implications of the project.

If the project processes personal data, the project manager must submit a notification form concerning the processing of personal data to the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD). Projects that fall under the Norwegian Health Research Act must also apply for approval from the Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REC).

The project will become visible in Forskpro when it has been approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. Projects that are not subject to approval from the Norwegian Centre for Research Data must be recorded manually.

Unsure about the approvals required for your research project? Get in touch with your research adviser. By agreement, the research adviser will assist in the process of obtaining approvals.

Read more about research ethics and privacy at the University of Oslo.

Draw up a data management plan

All projects at the University of Oslo must have a data management plan in place for project research data. Funding agencies such as The Research Council of Norway and the European Union require that a data management plan be submitted within 6 months of receipt of support.

The project manager must draw up a data management plan for the project research data.

Read more about:

Implementation phase

Ensure that the project achieves the desired outcomes within the agreed budget and established deadlines

In collaboration with the project team, the project manager must implement the project in accordance with the agreement with the funder.

It is important that the project manager ensures that the project owner and research support are informed of the progress in the project and any issues that may arise.

Research support at your unit.

Inform the project owner and research support of progress in the project

The project manager must provide the project owner and research support with information about progress in the project on an ongoing basis.

The project owner and research support must be informed if there are any major changes to the project, including:

  • Substantial project delays
  • Substantial changes to the project plan
  • Budget changes. Any changes to the funding model and buy out of time must be approved by the project owner.
  • In the event of substantial changes to the project, the project manager may request assistance from research support to assess the need to issue change notices to the funder or in implementing any contractual changes. Read more about project changes for projects funded by the Research Council of Norway. 

It is important to ensure that any unforeseen changes are clarified with the project owner as quickly as possible.

The project manager must also participate in status meetings with the project owner and research support. Please also refer to the meeting template for status meetings at the Faculty of Educational Sciences.

Research support at your unit.

Keep the funder and/or coordinator informed of the progress in the project

The project manager must ensure that the funder/coordinator is informed of progress in the project. It is important to inform the funder/coordinator in the event of substantial changes that affect the project plan or progress in the project.

Substantial changes may trigger the need to send a change notice or revise the contracts entered into with the funder. Research support will assist in the assessment of the need to issue change notices or make contractual changes.

Read more about:

Submitting scientific and financial reports to the funder and/or coordinator

Project finances are reviewed every four months. The project manager must assist the project economist with information about progress in the project and must submit both scientific and financial reports to the funder and/or coordinator within the deadlines specified by the funder/coordinator.

Read more about:

Contact your finance officer in the finance section at the Faculty of Educational Sciences.

Ensuring that contractual information with funders and partners is up-to-date

In the event of substantial changes to the project, a revised agreement must be entered into with the funder/coordinator. This agreement must be approved by the project owner. 

The project manager is responsible for informing all project partners in the event of a revised agreement.

If the project is owned by a different unit or institution, the project manager at the Faculty of Educational Sciences must ensure that the coordinator is informed of any changes that could result in a need for contractual changes.

Disseminate outcomes

The project manager must continuously disseminate the project outcomes in accordance with the project dissemination plan.

All publications must be registered in Cristin.

The project manager must inform the unit’s communication staff of any new publications and other project outcomes on an ongoing basis.

Read more about:

Conclusion phase

Submitting the final report

The final reporting in the project must take place in accordance with the funder’s reporting requirements. The requirements vary depending on funding source but it is common to set out requirements concerning reporting of scientific outcomes and the final accounts of the project.

The report must be drawn up by the project manager with assistance from the research adviser and project economist. Please get in touch with research support in good time before final reporting.

The project manager must submit the final report to the funder in accordance with the deadlines set by the funder.

Read more about:

Participating in conclusion meetings

The research adviser will take the initiative to convene a conclusion meeting, at which the project outcomes and implementation will be discussed, with a focus on managing project outcomes and learning from the process.

Please also refer to the Faculty of Educational Sciences meeting template for conclusion meetings. 

Research support at your unit.

Published Aug. 19, 2021 12:48 PM - Last modified Aug. 21, 2023 8:13 AM
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