In the sixth episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Nicole Elgueta Silva and Hiwa Målen from NARMA to zoom in on one of the project’s most developed pilots: the Norwegian national training programme for research managers. NARMA has been running a capacity-building programme since 2017, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, with three levels – entry/intermediate, advanced and a management seminar – and participants from universities, university colleges and research institutes across the country. The focus is strongly on soft skills, best practice, reflection and networking, and while the courses do not formally carry ECTS, they are designed with an ECTS-like scope and structure in mind.

Nicole and Hiwa explain how this mature programme is now being used as a pilot site for the RM Framework handbook and quality label. Having followed earlier European initiatives such as ERA Action 17, RM Roadmap and RMcomp from the beginning, they’ve been informally aligning their content for years; the RM Framework handbook now offers a structured way to check that alignment, identify gaps (for example around assessment and formal certification) and think about interoperability – can someone who trained in Norway have their skills recognised elsewhere in Europe? The episode also unpacks how the future quality label will work as a structured self-assessment and peer-recognised “stamp” on training programmes, and why this matters for the professionalisation and visibility of research management as a career across the European Research Area.

Time codes:

02:23 Guest introduction and fly in

05:13 The NARMA Training Model

09:08 Approaching the Pilot: Reviewing the Handbook

19:53 The Quality Label

25:37 Expectations & Final Reflections