Project management training helps postdocs navigate the demands of research
How can postdocs manage competing priorities, coordinate several projects and make progress on long-term goals? A project management course organised by the FIMM Postdoctoral Development Program (FIMMPOD) in September gave 16 participants, including three NORDPOD fellows, practical tools to address these everyday challenges.
Led by Dr Sabrina Krueger, Scientific Training Specialist at EMBL’s International Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT), the course covered time management, strategic planning and prioritisation, as well as the fundamentals of project management. Participants explored different approaches, including traditional and agile methodologies, and learned about the stages of a project, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring and closure. Stakeholder communication and risk management were also part of the programme.
The course combined practical exercises with opportunities to reflect on individual working habits and share experiences with other postdocs.
“For me, it is always very rewarding to see those moments when the ‘light bulb’ goes on and participants either realise that there might be a tool or technique that could help them, or understand that they are not alone in a situation they may currently be struggling with,” says Sabrina Krueger.
Practical tools for everyday research
For postdocs, managing research often means juggling several responsibilities at once, from coordinating projects and writing grant applications to supervising students. The course offered participants an opportunity to step back, identify common challenges and explore ways to manage their workload more effectively.
“As a postdoc, I think one of the main challenges is managing all the different aspects of research life at the same time,” says Charlène Sueur, a NORDPOD fellow at NCMBM/FIMM.
“Because the course was very interactive, it gave us the opportunity to really take some time to identify these challenges and, more importantly, to discover tools and methods that can help us manage them better.”
One exercise focused on multitasking and its effect on efficiency.
“It was interesting to see how trying to do several things at once can actually make us less efficient and take more time than simply focusing on one task at a time,” Charlène says. “It made me reflect on my own way of working and helped me identify a few things that I could still improve.”
Sara Palomino Echeverria, also a NORDPOD fellow at FIMM/NCMBM, appreciated the practical focus of the training and the opportunity to exchange experiences with other researchers.
“The hands-on exercise on multitasking was really nice: seeing how trying to do everything at once actually makes us less efficient helped me identify specific habits in my own workflow that I want to improve,” she says.
Both participants also highlighted the value of learning from a trainer with experience of a similar career path. The facilitator shared her own experiences and challenges, helping connect the course content to the realities of postdoctoral research.
“It was great to discuss with the trainer, as she has navigated a similar career path, so she completely understood our everyday reality and shared relatable, actionable advice rather than abstract theory. Overall, it was a very useful course, and the interaction with other postdocs allowed us to see other experiences and perspectives first hand,” Sara says.
Based on an original text by FIMMPOD Coordinator Markus Vähä-Koskela
Photo credits: Markus Vähä-Koskela
About FIMMPOD
FIMMPOD is the postdoctoral development programme of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki. It offers training and career development opportunities for postdoctoral researchers and early-career scientists at FIMM.