On October 2, AlmaU held the second training session in the «From Idea to Project» series on preparing applications for grant funding competitions. This time, participants were invited to look at a research project from a different perspective – through the eyes of an expert who evaluates an application and the results of its subsequent implementation.
The training, titled «A Research Project Through an Expert’s Eyes: From Application to Implementation», was conducted by Elizaveta Vitulyova, PhD, Research Professor at the School of Digital Technologies and Economics.
The session continued the series of practical training sessions organized by the AlmaU Office of Science and Commercialization for faculty members, researchers, doctoral students, and university staff interested in preparing and implementing research projects.
During the training, participants examined the process of preparing a research project from the perspective of expert evaluation. Particular attention was paid to how an expert perceives an application as a whole and which individual aspects of a project may influence the final assessment.
One of the central topics was the internal logic and coherence of a project. Participants discussed the relationship between research goals and objectives, the rationale behind the selected methods, the feasibility of the stated outcomes, the realism of the proposed timeline, and the alignment of the budget with the project’s content. This approach makes it possible to identify potential weaknesses at the application preparation stage and address them before submitting the project to a competition.
A separate part of the training focused on monitoring research projects that are already being implemented. The participants reviewed approaches to presenting achieved results, preparing supporting materials, and fulfilling project commitments.
The practical format of the session allowed participants to examine a research project from two perspectives at once – that of the applicant and that of the expert. They were able to follow the project’s path from developing a competition application and undergoing expert evaluation to implementation, monitoring, and verification of the results achieved.
A distinctive feature of the «From Idea to Project» series is its step-by-step examination of the different stages of working on a research project. While the first training focused on how to turn a research idea into a strong grant application, the second session enabled participants to evaluate a prepared project from an expert’s perspective and understand which decisions may influence its further development.
The training series will continue. The AlmaU Office of Science and Commercialization plans to further create opportunities for sharing practical experience, improving the quality of research applications, and developing project competencies within the university’s research community.