Many promising research ideas remain unrealised precisely because the team was unable to find common ground and collaborate effectively. To avoid such situations, it is extremely important to approach the selection of participants responsibly and to distribute responsibilities rationally. How can this be done correctly? How can you understand whether a candidate will truly meet the objectives of the project? Today, we will examine this issue in more detail.
Alignment of competencies with the project objectives
The first and most important criterion is that the candidate possesses experience that is directly required to achieve the project’s results. Here, we are talking not only about reputation or academic degrees, but also about the areas in which the researcher has previously worked.
Pay attention to specific experience in the thematic field of the project, participation in previous grant-funded or international initiatives, the ability to fulfil specific responsibilities, as well as the presence of real documented results, for example, publications.
Interest in the project
The level of a participant’s engagement directly affects the quality of their contribution. A candidate who joins a project primarily for the sake of funding or to enhance their CV is unlikely to put in significant effort if they lack genuine interest in the research and its results. In contrast, a scholar for whom the topic is truly meaningful is more likely to work in a more proactive and responsible manner. This aspect is especially important in cases where team members work remotely and each person must independently manage their portion of the work.
At the selection stage, it is worth clarifying what exactly attracts the candidate to the project’s topic, which personal research questions they plan to develop within its framework, and what specific results they expect from participation.
Reputation and integrity
Above, we have already noted that particular attention should be paid to a candidate’s experience. However, one should not forget about their reputation, as it directly affects the entire team and, in particular, the donor’s attitude towards the project. Therefore, before approving a candidate for participation in the research, it is advisable to check for the presence of unfinished or prematurely terminated grant projects, the history of interaction with donor organisations, as well as possible cases of violations of research ethics.
Complementarity of participants’ skills
An effective team is built not on similarity among participants, but on their complementarity. In international projects, this means not only disciplinary diversity, but also different types of institutional experience. How does this work in practice? For example, one participant’s strength may be theoretical work and writing articles, while another may have more practical experience and be able to apply various theoretical approaches in real projects.
It is also worth taking care of the so-called “invisible” roles related to organisational aspects of the work. This refers to budget planning, documentation management, and communication with donors. Although at first glance these responsibilities may seem less important than conducting the research itself, without them the team risks not only failing to achieve the set objectives, but also receiving a negative evaluation from the donor in the future.
Time allocation
A candidate’s high qualifications do not compensate for their absence at key moments of the project. In international projects, this issue is particularly acute, as differences in time zones and a tight schedule of joint meetings require constant availability from each participant.
Before approving a project participant, it is necessary to clarify the candidate’s current workload, the actual amount of time they can allocate to the work, and their availability at key stages of implementation.
Ability to work in a team
Even when all team members are true professionals, there is a risk that the objectives will not be achieved. The reason for this may be a lack of ability to work in a team. Work on research requires readiness to accept criticism and to resolve conflicts. For more details on how to organise work in co-authorship competently, read our article on this topic.
Therefore, during the selection process, it is worth paying attention to previous experience of collaborative work in international projects. A candidate who has previously worked with other researchers usually better understands how to avoid disputes, distribute responsibilities, and signal difficulties in a timely manner, without waiting for the problem to affect the entire team.
Respect for other cultures
It is important to understand that cooperation with colleagues from other countries is not only an exchange of academic knowledge, but also constant interaction between different cultural contexts. What is considered acceptable in one culture may be perceived as rudeness in another.
To avoid such misunderstandings in practice, it is worth discussing in advance with the entire team the basic agreements, including the language of communication, the format of meetings, and the acceptable response time to messages. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings that often arise in international teams.
Careful selection of a candidate significantly reduces risks during the project implementation process. An international team formed according to the above-mentioned criteria not only increases the chances of obtaining a grant, but also creates real conditions for its high-quality implementation and for avoiding conflict situations.
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