Rouages: "To be where research projects are built".

Émilie Domanico is in charge of European and international projects. Heading up the engineering and project support department, she assists lecturers and researchers in setting up their projects, and supports the presidency in structuring projects for the UM. This is a strategic mission she carries out within the Innovation and Partnerships Department, and which she presents to us as part of the "Rouages" video series produced by the University of Montpellier.

Partnership and innovation are key elements of the University's overall policy to strengthen its links with the socio-economic world on the one hand, and its institutional partners on the other. Émilie Domanico, in charge of European and international projects and head of the engineering and project support department (SIAP) located on the Triolet campus, is in charge of this mission. "There are seven of us in this department. Yes, all women! We are part of the Innovation and Partnerships Department (DIPA), which employs 25 people, divided between my department and the Contract and Development Department.

From project research...

It's no secret that the profession of teacher-researcher (EC) doesn't always take place in exotic locations or behind a lab bench. Today, setting up research or training projects is an important part of their work, and a helping hand is always welcome. Especially when it comes to the legal, administrative and financial aspects.

"There's the research project, but around it, there are all the cross-cutting sections: the link with regional, national and/or European policies and strategies, gender, open science, ethics, communication and dissemination of results, intellectual property... CEs don't necessarily have the marbles to fill them in. We also make sure that the project meets the funder's eligibility criteria and complies with national and European regulations, not to mention the institution's own guidelines", explains Émilie Domanico, who herself holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations, obtained in Finland.

Monitoring is another of the project manager's tasks. ECs may approach SIAP with a specific funding requirement, but without having identified any calls for projects. "In this case, we first help them to find the funding that best meets their needs, and then assist them in putting the project together. We intervene at regional level, interacting with local authorities, but also with national, European and international funding agencies - in other words, all types of financiers", explains the department manager.

... To the research project

Once the project has been submitted, and if it is accepted, SIAP remains at the EC's side throughout the contractualization and project implementation phase: "We act as a transmission belt to the various UM departments and services that will be involved: DRH if there are recruitments, the Financial Affairs Department for the implementation of credits and justification, the General and Institutional Affairs Department if there are contracts, etc." And SIAP can still intervene during the life of the project if amendments or modifications are required.

ECs are not the only ones to benefit from SIAP's expertise. The vice-presidents can also call on Émilie Domanico to help them set up major structuring projects for the University. "There was theI-site Muse, the European university Charm EU, the SFRI "UMGS" project , the renewal of Labex, and so on. We support all the projects on which the University of Montpellier positions itself." In 2019, SIAP enabled the UM to obtain more than 32 million euros for 155 selected projects, "and many more dossiers put together" emphasizes the project manager.

Teamwork and networking

To provide optimum service, the project managers divide their tasks according to their specialization. Three of them focus on regional and national funding programs, three others on European and international set-ups, including one in charge of implementing the ERC action plan, deployed as part of the Muse I-site. However, "it's important that they know how to do everything," insists Émilie Domanico. I make sure that information flows well and that they can all benefit from training that will enable them to intervene in any issue".

Professional networks such as Cap ANR and the European correspondents of the Conférence des Présidents d'Université also enable SIAP staff to keep in constant touch with teams working in other establishments in France and Europe. For example, Émilie Domanico co-chairs the Europe Committee with CNRS and Université Paul-Valéry-Montpellier 3. "We need expertise and technical skills to understand the rules imposed on us. Training, exchange of best practices, collaboration with other departments within the UM or in other networks, are essential if we are to continue to offer innovation. You can't do this job in isolation, you have to work as part of a team.

According to Émilie Domanico, teamwork is a prerequisite for this job, to which she adds listening skills, rigor and responsiveness. "Our schedules are tight, and deadlines are real deadlines beyond which the project can no longer exist. We're the first level, and if we make a mistake, it'll be felt at every level. It's a demanding job, but one that doesn't dampen the motivation of the project manager, for whom the absence of routine and the stimulation of exchanges with the EC are powerful driving forces. "I wanted to be in touch with the field. To be where research projects are developed and implemented. And in a university like ours, there are always great projects to be built," she concludes.