Project Management for Scientists
Develop your project management skills, bring structure to your research, and get great science done.
Who this Course is for
Effective management of research projects is crucial for success in science.
This Project Management course is specifically designed for you as a postdoctoral researcher or late-stage PhD student.
If you’re a postdoc wanting to improve your ability to plan work effectively, set goals, communicate efficiently, and track progress towards your next discovery, publication, or independence, this course is perfect for you. You’ll learn simple project management tools and strategies that you can implement with minimal time investment, focused on managing a single research project or a couple of parallel projects.
If you’re in your second or third year of PhD studies, you’ll also benefit from this course as it will help you bring more structure to your PhD project, ensure timely completion, and build a strong foundation for your next career step.
Style of this Course
The workshop consists of three days online:
- Daily: 9:00 – 17:30 (CET/CEST)
The format of the workshop is highly interactive and practical, conducted as a live online training via Zoom. Over three days, you will learn the foundational principles and core tools of project management and will apply what you learn to your own research project.
This course, developed by CJ Fitzsimons, author of “International Project Management – Intercultural Cooperation in Practice”, introduces essential project management concepts, focusing on both planning and managing tasks, as well as working effectively with others, including yourself.
What you will learn
The first day of the course introduces essential project management concepts and their application in research. It covers how to effectively initiate projects, set clear, achievable goals, and address research-specific uncertainties.
You will also learn practical planning tools to break down your project into manageable tasks, with a focus on goal-setting, project chunking, and techniques that accommodate uncertainties in research.
The day concludes with strategies for self-management, helping you organise your work and reduce stress.
Topics Covered
Goal-setting | Task management | Research uncertainties
The second day focuses on critical aspects of project management, starting with motivation, where you explore factors that influence both your own and your team’s motivation.
You’ll then dive into assertiveness, learning how to communicate effectively, defend your position fairly, and set boundaries with self-confidence.
The course also covers principles of quality management and their impact on project planning and execution.
The day concludes with a session on risk management, teaching you how to identify risks, formulate risk statements, evaluate probabilities, and manage both risks and opportunities in your projects.
Topics Covered
Motivation | Communication | Quality & Risk management
Day three focuses on several advanced project management techniques.
The session begins with project controlling, where you learn how to monitor progress against the plan, identify when you are off course, and decide when to refocus the project. Tools like the Deming Wheel, Force-field Analysis, OIL, and Escalation are introduced.
Next, you will explore stakeholder analysis and management, focusing on understanding stakeholders’ perspectives, creating a relationship chart (sociogram), and managing their needs and expectations.
The day continues with managing conflict, where you will work through case studies to identify solutions, understand conflict dynamics, and learn strategies for resolving conflicts.
The session concludes with a discussion on project marketing, including evaluating experiences and identifying other approaches, followed by final questions and next steps.
Topics Covered
Controlling | Stakeholder | Deming Wheel | Conflict | Marketing
Project Management for Scientists
Live Online
Improve your project management skills in a dynamic digital environment
What’s included
- 3 full days of training
- Course Materials
- Dynamic digital experience
Our Training Team – Skilful for Scientists
Our trainers come from many different backgrounds, and all have been working directly and extensively with project managers in the life sciences for many years. Our team includes scientists, organisational development experts, human resources professionals, MBA graduates, mathematicians, professional coaches, and others with significant and relevant experience to supporting project managers in the life sciences.
For each course, we provide two trainers to balance their expertise and diversity to ensure that you receive the widest range of expertise, experience and insight possible from your training team.
The trainers helped me clarify my thoughts and structure them into practical, actionable strategies. The discussions offered diverse perspectives and viewpoints that continue to be invaluable, not just in the lab but in life.
Kaivalya Walavalkar | Postdoc
University of Zürich
Our On-Site Project Management Training
If you have a group of researchers who would benefit from enhancing their ability to effectively plan, execute, and manage research projects,while fostering a collaborative learning environment, we’re happy to bring this project management course to your institute! Find out how…