Our study takes the first step in providing data-driven evidence of the power of the social network in enhancing organisational performance relating to achieving environmental sustainability goals in a project-intensive industry sector.
Research funding and collaborative research
Research funding supports innovative academic research to advance the science, theory and practice of project and programme management for the public benefit.
APM offers two main types of research funding: the Research Fund and Commissioned Research. The Research Fund has an annual call and typically funds one-year research studies targeting early-career professionals.
Our commissioned research has a larger budget, providing funding for larger-scale studies, targeting a specific theme. Our call for commissioned research is now open. This year, we invite expressions of interest for a commissioned study titled "Project Management Premium."
We are aiming to identify the economic value of projects committed to within the UK Government’s manifesto document, as well as analysing the cost of poor project management and the benefits of good project management.
The total funding available is up to £50,000, reflecting the quick turnaround required. If your organisation is able to support this work, please complete the Expression of Interest and email it to research@apm.org.uk.
APM commissioned research – “Project Management Premium”
Association for Project Management is currently inviting expressions of interest for a commissioned research study titled the “Project Management Premium”. We require support on identifying the economic value of the projects committed to within the UK Government’s manifesto document, together with analysis of the cost of bad project management, and the benefit of good project management.
Successful projects drive economic growth and job creation. With current financial constraints, the UK Government must invest cautiously. Effective project management is crucial to avoid failures and overspending. The selected study will evaluate the economic value of government projects, assess project management practices and provide recommendations. Findings will be shared in a report, infographics, and data sets through APM events and conferences.
Level of funding available
The total funding is £50,000.
What should the proposal contain and what themes should it address?
Expressions of Interest are sought from research agencies and economic consultancies to undertake research which seeks to:
- Identify the economic value of the projects committed to within the UK Government’s manifesto.
- Identify the costs of poor project management.
- Identify the impact of good project management.
Important dates
Deadline: 5pm, Friday 30 August 2024
Submission details
Please complete the Expression of Interest and email it to research@apm.org.uk with the subject line “Project Management Premium”.
APM Commissioned Research “Project Management Premiums"
Applications are now closed
APM Research Fund
This year, APM's Research Fund is dedicated to fostering the inclusion of early-career professionals, providing seed funding and support for small-scale research projects. Our focus is on empowering early-career researchers.
Future calls will be announced on this website.
2024 selected Research Fund proposals:
Navigating AI in Project Management: Dual Impacts on Managerial Well-Being
- Dr. Xiangming (Tommy) Tao, University of Sussex
Big Data-driven Stakeholder Engagement in a Dynamic and Complex Environment of Mega Infrastructure Projects
- Jin Xue, Lecturer, The University of Sydney, Australia
- Weiting Hong, Postdoctoral fellow, The University of Sydney, Australia
- Qiancheng Wang, PhD candidate, The University of Cambridge, UK
- Yunping Liang, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA
- Jennifer Whyte, Professor, The University of Sydney, Australia
Read more about this year’s selected proposals on our Current Research page.
Commissioned research
Commissioned studies aim to address emergent themes, knowledge gaps, and answer some of the significant questions for the project profession.
These studies represent the flagship activity of APM’s research program and are among the most downloaded and influential of all APM publications.
Collaborative research
APM is open to collaborative research opportunities. If you have any proposals that align with , are relevant for future editions of the APM Body of Knowledge, and could benefit APM’s members and the wider project management community, please contact the research team.
Please be aware that APM typically does not provide financial support for collaborative opportunities but offers other forms of assistance instead.
FEATURED RESEARCH
Are we ready for net zero in project management?
The challenges and strategies for project managers in the delivery of low-carbon major projects
This report explores the necessary strategies and actions to successfully deliver major projects aligned with net zero commitments over the next few decades. We investigate the readiness of the project management profession, by identifying challenges faced by project professionals when planning and delivering current major projects and programmes in the UK.
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FEATURED RESEARCH
Developing Effective Interventions for Gender Equality in UK Construction Project Organisations
Our research highlights the gender equality challenges in construction project organisations in the UK and offers scientific knowledge on effective interventions for gender equality in the sector. This report provides practical next steps to improve the work environment, particularly considering the experiences of women and non-cisgender men, who continue to face gender bias, sexism, and discrimination in their workplace.
FEATURED RESEARCH
The Blind Spot
Since 2018, this study has set out to explore whether the project management profession was ready to address Grand Challenges. This is because the political legitimacy of a newly chartered profession in society depends on the extent to which it contributes to addressing challenges, such as climate change, poverty, lack of sanitation, healthcare, human space exploration and blockchain
Previous featured research
Life should not be about getting used to unfairness, but about how we can create an environment that provides a fairer experience for everyone.
Previous research fund studies
Artificial intelligence in project management
How to use AI technology in project management has had a lot of attention recently and the impact of AI has become a popular topic to debate when predicting the future of the project profession.
Sustainability: Inclusive storytelling to aid sustainable development goals
The practice of sustainability involves understanding the ways individuals and teams in projects and organisations respond to the sustainability targets set nationally and internationally.
Can artificial intelligence learn to be a project professional?
PwC reported that “Gartner forecasts that 80% of project management roles will be eliminated by 2030 as AI takes on traditional project management functions such as data collection, tracking and reporting.”
Eliminating modern slavery from projects
This research aims to raise awareness of modern slavery within projects and to understand how project practices need to change to eliminate it.
The wellbeing of project professionals
The awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues in societies is increasing. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s report shows the whole of Europe is struggling with the burden of mental ill health, which affects an estimated 84 million people – one in six.
Quantification of social benefits on public and third sector projects
This research project is a critical evaluation of current methods used by project planners and evaluators in the public and third sectors to quantify social benefits and costs.
How can we handover projects better?
How do we improve the transition of a project from the project team delivering in a project life cycle to the end users’ business as usual activities, to ensure the realisation of the benefits the project set out to achieve?
Scaled Agile project management
A study on the practical adoption of agile methodologies this study aims to investigate the level of practical adoption of those programme and portfolio components addressed by Scaled Agile methodologies.
Strategies for dealing with difficult stakeholders
This research project focuses on the psycho-social aspects of project management and specifically on how project managers cope with difficult stakeholders.
How is systems thinking used in projects?
This study builds on the work used to establish the Systems Thinking SIG as they seek to identify the range of activities classified as systems thinking and how these are seen to add value to projects.
This research has sought to draw out project leadership competences from the perspective of practising project leaders, aspiring project leaders, heads of profession, project sponsors and clients.
Understanding leadership in the context of transformation projects
This research aims to advance understandings of individual, team and organisation-wide leadership capabilities for successfully delivering transformation projects, and ways in which they can be fostered.
Capturing and evaluating individual and social factors that influence critical project decisions
The study seeks to increase project management knowledge in three interrelated areas; firstly, identifying how decision-makers actually make decisions in the complex situations they encounter during a project’s life.
This research project aims to address the representation of women in the leadership of major projects. It forms part of a broader action research programme (ARPL) on the leadership and delivery of major projects.