Project Management for Scientists: A new training course from CSCCE!

We’re excited to end the year by announcing two new trainings in the CSCCE training portfolio that focus on project management – with the opportunity to register for one now and to let us know if you’d be interested in the second!

In early December 2024, we ran a pilot offering of a brand new multi-module training, Project Management for Scientists. We developed the course with funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and piloted it with almost 30 CZI grantees. This training followed a 2-hour long Introduction to Project Management that we ran earlier in October which a larger group of 50 participants attended.

In 2025, we’ll be making both of these trainings more widely available, and in this blog post, we share more about who they’re for and also the different formats they could take. 

We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in taking the trainings as an individual. Let us know your preferences for a bootcamp vs. a multi-week training, as well as your availability in the first half of 2025, using this short form. 

Additionally, if you think your community or organization would benefit from a private cohort of the trainings, you can also let us know by emailing training@cscce.org. 

About the trainings

This pilot version of Project Management for Scientists training came in two parts: an introductory two hour session (which took place at the end of October 2024), and then a two-day bootcamp from 3-4 December. 

The intro session (which stands alone, and is perfect for anyone looking for a low-investment overview of project management) defined the different types of “projects” and how they differ from day-to-day operations, and then explored the characteristics of successful project leaders. Over the course of two hours, CSCCE’s Lou Woodley and Alice Martinic described core vocabulary and facilitated activities for learners to unpack these ideas in small groups. 

Then, for the two-day bootcamp, Lou and Alice were joined by Camille Santistevan and together they guided participants through a framework called the Project Canvas – as described in the Harvard Business Review’s Project Management Handbook. Using the Project Canvas as a backbone, we designed case studies, worksheets, and examples specific to STEM contexts to support participants as they applied project management principles to their own experiences. 

You can find out more about the course syllabus on our new course webpage. 

Coming up in 2025

From 2025 onwards, we’ll be offering the training in two parts:

Part 1 – An Introduction to Project Management (PMI) 

This CSCCE Mini-workshop will mirror the original “introductory session,” with the option to take it as a standalone training or continue on to the bootcamp. All CSCCE Certification Program participants will be able to choose to take this training as part of their Mini-workshop requirements. This Mini-workshop will run for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday 26 February (note: if you cannot make this date, but are still interested in taking the training, you can tell us more about your availability using the expression of interest form).

REGISTER HERE FOR FEBRUARY’S MINI-WORKSHOP

Part 2 – Project Management for Scientists Bootcamp (PMB) 

The rest of the training will be available as either a two-day bootcamp OR a multi-week course. We’re still researching which format makes the most sense (or may offer both!), so if you would like to take the training and have a preference, let us know! 

Who it’s for

This training is applicable to a range of individuals in STEM, from project PIs to program and community managers. It’s also a great grounding in project management for grad students and postdocs who might be considering a career as a project coordinator or similar. And given the modular nature of the training, if you’re not sure about the bootcamp, you can get an idea of what it would be like by taking the introductory Mini-workshop. 

A new digital badge! 

In 2022 we began minting digital badges for graduates of our training courses. As of this week, we now have a new badge, which we awarded to everyone who completed the full two-day bootcamp! Digital badges are one way for learners to demonstrate the validity of the trainings they list on their resumés, acting a bit like framing a certification or degree on your office wall. And they help us as an organization elevate the importance of human infrastructure roles in STEM – a core part of our mission. 

The digital badge image for Project Management for Scientists (PMB) is a blue circle with a white center. PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENTISTS is spelled out in white, over the top of the blue circle, and a blue umbel design is overlaid in the white center. At the bottom right, on the outside of the circle, it says “CSCCE Training Course” in two shades of teal.

You can find all of the badges CSCCE awards on this webpage. 

Participant feedback

Online bootcamps can be an intense experience, however based on the feedback we received from our pilot participants, they really appreciated being able to focus deeply on the materials for a couple of days. This is a new format for CSCCE offerings, and one that our training team thoroughly enjoyed developing and delivering. We’re grateful to all of the learners who participated; here’s some of what they had to say: 

“…the facilitation was incredible, everyone was so engaged with discussion and responding to written docs and comments in a way that is very rare in bootcamps or trainings. Really appreciate how personalized the feedback was!”

“Thank you so much for all of the effort that went into making this so valuable and engaging! It is one of the best workshops/bootcamps I have ever attended!”

“Today’s training has led me to answer some really hard and useful questions. E.g. ‘Why is now the best time to pursue this project?’”

More short-form training options from CSCCE

Coming up in 2025, we are running the following Mini-workshops for anyone working to build community and support collaboration in STEM: 

Two-part series on large-scale collaborations

Making a PACT for engaging virtual meetings and events

We’re also planning to run the following Mini-workshops in March/April/May, with exact dates to be announced in the new year:

We’re always updating our training calendar, so if you’re interested in taking a course or Mini-workshop with us in the next few months, check back frequently for updates!