Objectives
Establishing ERA Chair research unit.
Strengthen IPS’s research and innovation capacity to achieve international excellence.
Foster continuous development of diverse skills and competencies among IPS researchers.
Implement structural reforms to ensure long-term research excellence
Position IPS as a leading hub for scientific excellence and policy-driven collaboration by establishing a Bulgarian Observatory of Education and Work—a key institution for advancing skills and workforce development.
Work packages
Project management (Work Packages 1 and 2)
Establishment of the ERA Chair team (Work Package 3)
The recruitment and structuring of the ProSkills2Work ERA Chair group follows a carefully planned process. Initially, the group is led by the ERA Chair Holder, and includes two Senior and one Junior Researcher. A Selection Committee formed by Prof. Imdorf (as chair), two senior IPS scientists, and at least two leading international scholars in sociology of education and work, is in charge of recruiting six more ERA Chair members – external appointees: one senior researcher, two post-docs, and three PhD students. The job openings will be advertised widely via Euraxess and LinkedIn, and through direct outreach. The candidates will be scored on research excellence, practical expertise, academic leadership, and willingness to relocate to Sofia, Bulgaria. Research merit will carry the most weight. At least half of the ERA Chair team will be new to the IPS. The aim is to have a fully-fledged ERA Chair at the IPS by end May 2026. The ERA Chair Holder will always work hand-in-hand with the IPS Scientific Council.
Implementation of the ProSkills2Work research programme (Work Packages 4 and 5)
This component is dedicated to analysing vocational education and training (VET) pathways and their alignment with labour market demands in Bulgaria. Secondary data from European and national surveys (e.g. ESS, EU-LFS, EU-SILC, Bulgaria
The longitudinal survey will allow us to explore influencing factors on individual trajectories. It will also help evaluate Bulgaria’s dual-VET policy introduced in 2015, comparing outcomes between dual and traditional VET pathways. Further analysis of job advertisements will apply skill clustering to detect evolving labour market trends and employer demands across sectors, enhancing the evidence base for policy and education reforms.
Research capacity-building (Work Packages 6 and 7)
This component aims to develop research talent by building expertise in theory development, advanced data analysis, scientific writing, and transferable skills such as leadership and teamwork. The ERA Chair group will deliver hands-on training in research methods, run courses on sociological theory and transferable skills, organise two summer schools for early-career researchers, and host international workshops on skills and school-to-work transitions to promote collaboration.
Other tasks within the component are dedicated to identifying and developing research synergies within the IPS. The ERA Chair Holder will work with the IPS group leaders to align research agendas and foster interdisciplinary collaborations. Affiliated groups will benefit from the ERA Chair’s scientific leadership and joint research opportunities.
The activities within this component shall lead to increased competitiveness in grant acquisition by offering targeted training in grant writing, providing mentoring for proposal development, and exploring incentive mechanisms to reward successful applications, thereby enhancing the long-term research excellence and funding success of the IPS.
Institutional development (Work Packages 8 and 9)
This component focuses on strengthening the IPS administrative capacity and improving the workplace environment at the IPS.
It is planned to upskill administrative and project management staff through targeted training in English, project coordination, procurement, and digital skills. It is also intended to formalise the role of research officers, encourage self-directed learning, and streamline the IPS internal procedures. The work environment shall be improved by aligning the internal policies with the European Charter for Researchers and the SAGE Charter for Gender Equality, and by promoting team spirit through social events and staff engagement. All suggested processes will be submitted for validation to the IPS Scientific Council.
Guidelines for Good Research Practice and external evaluation of the IPS research groups will be introduced to assess their performance and guide further institutional development, ensuring long-term impact and accountability.
Building stakeholder relationships (Work Package 10)
This component fosters stakeholder engagement, strengthens the IPS evaluation capacities, and promotes collaborative research.
External stakeholders will be engaged through their participation in learning / training opportunities and joint events, peer review and academic and/or policy advice. A Project Advisory Board will be constituted, to establish collaborations between the project and the academia, VET schools, businesses, and the policy-makers.
The long-term ambition is to create a Bulgarian Observatory of Education and Work as a platform for stakeholder exchange and evaluation expertise.
Dissemination, communication, and exploitation (Work Packages 11 and 12)
This component shall ensure communication and exploitation of the project’s research results and outcomes among both academic and non-academic audiences.
ProSkills2Work has a comprehensive Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan, outlining key audiences, messages, channels, and formats. Academic dissemination will include publishing in top journals, participating in national and international conferences, and organising workshops. Policymakers, VET stakeholders, and businesses will be targeted through policy forums and other forms of policy dialogue. The project’s public communication intends to raise awareness about skills formation and social science careers via the project website, social media, press releases, printed materials, and open days.
Project Management Unit
The Project Management Unit (PMU) of ProSkills2Work is responsible for the overall coordination, monitoring, and administrative implementation of the project. It ensures smooth communication among partners, timely delivery of outputs, and compliance with financial and reporting requirements. The PMU also supports decision-making processes and risk management to keep the project aligned with its strategic objectives.
