Program Overview

Project Management a Toolbox for Scientists

Course Information

The course "Project Management a Toolbox for Scientists" is an online program designed for doctoral candidates and postdocs. The key details of the course are as follows:

• Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026, 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM, and Thursday, May 28, 2026, 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM.
• Registration Opens: January 21, 2026, 9:00 AM.
• Registration Deadline: April 23, 2026, 12:00 PM.
• Course Fees: This course is free of charge and is exclusively for doctoral candidates and postdocs of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 14 participants.
• Trainer: Dr. Sina Saladin.
• Credits: 1 ECTS, which can be credited towards Higher Education Teaching Certificates, specifically Module Context Higher Education.

Aims

The primary aim of this comprehensive workshop is to impart a toolbox of project management skills to doctoral candidates and postdocs from various disciplines. It focuses on providing basic project management concepts and principles based on international standards (PMI), including a session on agile project management and the application of the SCRUM framework in a research environment. The goal is to develop highly valued transferable competencies that enhance the professional portfolio of the participants.

Content

Participants will learn how to initiate, plan, and execute a project that meets objectives on time and within budget. The workshop covers different techniques for a flexible approach to project management, including:

• Understanding what a project is and what it is not.
• Learning about project management in academia versus industry.
• Introduction to the project life cycle.
• Making a work breakdown structure (WBS).
• Developing a schedule based on the project plan.
• Doing cost estimations.
• Introduction to Agile Project Management.
• Considering agile and iterative approaches.
• Introduction to SCRUM for researchers.
• Identifying risks and developing a risk management plan.
• Execution of projects, including monitoring progress, project communication, and project closing.

Methods

This highly interactive workshop is organized over two days, during which participants will develop their individual project life cycle. The workshop focuses on real project cases, allowing participants to apply common techniques and tools in project management through interactive group exercises. Ahead of the workshop, participants are asked to provide feedback on their expectations and may submit their individual project. The course material and a project management handbook will be distributed as PDF files to all participants. After the workshop, participants can work on their own projects and submit their individual project planning to the trainer for detailed feedback.

Target Group

The target group for this course is all doctoral candidates and postdocs.

About the Trainer

Dr. Sina Saladin has broad professional experience in implementing and developing project outlines in the academic environment. She holds a doctorate in Molecular Biology from the University of Zurich and an MBA in Academic Management from the University of Basel. Dr. Saladin combines her extensive research experience in the life sciences with an in-depth understanding of process development and project management to provide interactive and professional training experiences.

Workload

The total workload for the course is 17 hours, which includes preliminary work (between 30 minutes and 1 hour) and the workshop (2 x 8 hours). There is an optional follow-up assignment (13 hours) to receive 1 ECTS credit.

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours, and course places will be allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24-hour period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Course places and waiting list positions will be confirmed by email. Full course attendance is mandatory, and participants who fail to attend without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee.