Program Overview

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Project Management in Research

Course Information

The course will take place on:

• Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
• Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM Registration opens on January 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM, and the registration deadline is April 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM. The course is free of charge and is limited to doctoral candidates and postdocs of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 participants. The trainer for the course is Dr. Sandra Dierig. The course is worth 1 ECTS credit and can be credited towards Higher Education Teaching Certificates, Module Context, Higher Education. The course is organized by the Graduate Center, Transferable Skills.

Aims

The participants will obtain a good understanding of the project management methodology and deepen their existing knowledge. They will learn how to apply relevant project management techniques to their own research projects and how to cope with the specific challenges of research projects in different research environments.

Content

At the end of the course, participants will know how to:

• apply project management to research projects
• start a project, define the scope and goals
• set up a project team and the communication architecture
• analyze and manage the risks and the stakeholders
• monitor and control progress and manage change
• deal with difficult situations and setbacks
• analyze and find solutions for project issues
• integrate agile project management values and elements into the project management approach

Methods

The course will be oriented on the current project practice of the participants and builds on their existing experience. Case studies (existing projects of the participants) will be selected at the beginning of the training, and different methods will be practiced on these projects in working groups. Typical challenges and possible solutions will be discussed. Trainer inputs and active team sessions will alternate. Both beginners and advanced learners will benefit from the exchange of experience.

Target Group

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

Requirements

The tasks for the preparatory work will be sent to the participants after the registration deadline (approximately 1 month before the course starts). The results must be sent to the course instructor at least one week before the course starts.

About the Trainer

Sandra Dierig is a senior consultant and coach specialized in the field of project management, both in academia and the private industry. She has been conducting workshops and trainings for PhD students and postdocs for more than 20 years. Ms. Dierig earned her own PhD on the topic of project management and is acquainted with the academic environment and its challenges.

Workload

The course attendance is 2 x 8 hours, and the follow-up task is 14 hours.

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/places on the waiting list will be confirmed by email. Registration to a course makes participation in the full training mandatory. Course registrations can only be cancelled before the registration period ends. Unexcused absence and cancellation of the workshop after the registration deadline lead to a penalty fee. Participants who cancel their course registration at a later point in time, are absent without an excuse, or do not attend the entire course will not be considered for course registration in the following semester and will be removed from other courses offered in the same semester.

Location

The course will take place at the Universitätsbibliothek Basel, GRACE room 306 (3rd floor), Schönbeinstrasse 18-20, 4056 Basel.