EU-CONEXUS Project Development Support Office (PDSO)
The Project Development Support Office (PDSO) has been established within EU-CONEXUS Plus to strengthen collaboration in research, education, and innovation among partner institutions. PDSO enhances the alliance’s capacity to secure European funding by fostering knowledge exchange, supporting project development structures, and promoting funding opportunities.
PDSO plays a key role in :
Strengthening support structures for EU-CONEXUS SmUCS collaborative projects.
Facilitating collaboration among project development teams through knowledge-sharing and expertise exchange.
Organizing training sessions, information events, and promoting funding opportunities to help researchers and educators navigate the funding landscape.
Identifying relevant funding opportunities and potential partners to foster new collaborations
Connecting researchers, educators, and administrative teams across EU-CONEXUS institutions to develop high-quality, competitive proposals.
While PDSO does not provide direct support for external funding applications, it enables collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge-sharing to prepare EU-CONEXUS institutions for developing competitive proposals.
How PDSO Supports the EU-CONEXUS Community
PDSO acts as a facilitator by bringing together Research Management and Administration (RMA) networks and researcher networks, enabling us to collectively share expertise, pool resources, and leverage complementary strengths to collaborate on funding strategies, share best practices, and build strong project proposals.
Key activities include:
- Information & Awareness – Regular updates on relevant European and international funding opportunities.
- Training & Capacity Building – Organizing workshops and sessions to enhance project development and research management skills.
- Networking & Partner Matching – Helping researchers and educators connect with relevant partners within the EU-CONEXUS alliance.
- Facilitation of Project Development Support Structures – Encouraging knowledge exchange between research support offices across institutions.
SEED Funding Opportunity Managed by PDSO
PDSO oversees one internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate collaboration and strengthen project development capabilities:
Seed Funding (SF) – Supports early-stage collaboration between EU-CONEXUS Plus partners in education, research, and innovation on SmUCS-related topics. This fund enables teams to develop joint small-scale projects, fostering cooperation and idea exchange.
PDSO Members
The office is composed of project officers from some of the EU-CONEXUS institutions who all have expertise on project development. For now, the PDSO can count on four members from three different countries of the alliance:
LRUniv, France
Ms. Lucie VAUCEL
PDSO Coordinator
UTCB, Romania
Ms. Adriana SUMANARU
Project Officer
FREDU, Cyprus
Mr. Savvas EVRIPIDES
Project Officer
LRUniv, France
Mr. Lino GRUBER
Project Officer
PDSO’s role is to enable collaboration and knowledge-sharing within EU-CONEXUS, rather than directly assisting in external proposal writing or submission. By connecting researchers and research support offices, PDSO ensures that EU-CONEXUS institutions are well-prepared to develop competitive applications for European and international funding programs.
For more information, upcoming training sessions, or funding opportunities, stay connected with PDSO !
For any information or if you wish to benefit from the support of the PDSO, feel free to use the following generic email address:
The PDSO workshops in video
This activity is organised under the EU-funded Project EU-CONEXUS Plus (Project number 101089709) titled : “A significant step forward for the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability” .
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
