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Research Project Management
Request a Project Manager
You may request the services of one of our Institutional Research Project Managers if your research project has been funded by a sponsor and the approved project budget includes funding for project management. Please consult the guidance on this page and complete the request form below.
Western Research offers centralized research project management to support funded research initiatives across Western. Our team of experienced project management professionals provide expertise in managing complex research projects and portfolios.
Institutional Research Project Managers are assigned to individual funded projects, offering tailored, project-specific support that aligns with the unique requirements of each initiative. This specialized service extends beyond the standard administrative and operational support typically available within central units, faculties, or departments.
- The project must have already been awarded funding by the sponsor;
- Project management must be an eligible expense per sponsor guidelines; and
- The project must have dedicated funding within their sponsor-approved budgets to support the engagement of an Institutional Research Project Manager.
If you have questions regarding centralized research project management, you can contact our team at irp.pm@uwo.ca. For requests to have an Institutional Research Project Manager assigned to support your project, please consult the guidance below and submit a Request for Project Management Support form.
What We Offer
Institutional Research Project Managers will work with Principal Investigators (PIs) to support the administration of awarded large and complex research projects. Specific responsibilities could include:
- Project Launch and Planning
- Coordinating project launch activities such as team kick-off meetings
- Developing and managing project timelines, milestones and deliverables to monitor progress and implementing adjustments as required throughout the project
- Coordinating the development of funder-required documents such as governance plans
- Communication and Collaboration
- Coordinating communication among researchers, collaborators, sponsors and internal/external stakeholders to ensure consistent engagement and information flow
- Leading the preparation of sponsor progress reports, internal updates and other documentation as required for effective communication of project progress and outcomes
- Liaising with Research Finance and other administrative units and faculties to support required financial reporting
- Providing direction and advice to resolve barriers
- Ongoing Project Management
- Providing budget support, including monitoring expenditures and allocations in accordance with sponsor guidelines
- Managing change requests (e.g., budget, scope, team composition) and communicating adjustments to relevant stakeholders/sponsors as required
- Liaising with Procurement Services for the acquisition of research infrastructure and/or Facilities Management for sponsor-funded renovations
- Monitoring project progress and mitigating risks
- Ensuring compliance with institutional and funder requirements.
- Assisting with project close-out
Support provided by Institutional Research Project Managers would not include research leadership of the project, providing technical expertise or coordination of research or technical staff, performing research or replacement of existing supports from administrative units such as Research Finance or the Office of Research Services.
Hiring A Project Manager
If you believe your project would benefit from project management support, it is essential that project management is an eligible expense under the sponsor guidelines and that funding for this role is included in your awarded proposal budget. Project management support can only be requested for projects that have already been approved for funding by the sponsor, and priority may be given to projects that are at the implementation phase rather than advanced into their funding term.
You may choose to hire your own project manager or request support from an Institutional Research Project Manager. Institutional Research Project Manager assignments typically range from 0.1 to FTE, with 0.1 FTE representing the minimum level of support.
Estimates are provided below for the average annual cost of Institutional Research Project Manager support. Rates include benefits and annual increases per Western and Professional & Managerial Association (PMA) policies.
|
Fiscal Year (FY) |
Rate for 0.1FTE |
Rate for 0.2 FTE |
Rate for 0.5 FTE |
Rate for 1.0 FTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FY26/27 |
$10,840 |
$21,681 |
$54,203 |
$108,406 |
|
FY 27/28 |
$11,274 |
$22,548 |
$56,371 |
$112,742 |
|
FY 28/29 |
$11,725 |
$23,450 |
$58,626 |
$117,252 |
|
FY 29/30 |
$12,194 |
$24,388 |
$60,971 |
$121,942 |
|
FY 30/31 |
$12,682 |
$25,364 |
$63,410 |
$126,820 |
Institutional Research Project Managers typically support projects that meet most of the following criteria, as capacity allows:
- Complex reporting requirements
- High value (>$1 million)
- High risk (e.g. international sponsor, reimbursement funding model)
- Multi-institutional and/or includes external partners
- High administrative burden (e.g. highly restrictive spending policies, complex/frequent reporting)
Examples of funding programs that may meet the above criteria include, but are not limited to: Horizon Europe, US federal funding, Genome Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation - Innovation Fund, NSERC CREATE, and Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence.
Contact Us
To determine whether an Institutional Research Project Manager can support your project, please submit a request using the link below. We recommend submitting requests as soon as funding decisions are received, as availability is dependent on project manager capacity.
If you have general questions about our services or require assistance completing the form, please do not hesitate to contact us at irp.pm@uwo.ca.