Paula Sergeant

Who am I?

Paula has worked in MMU since 1997 in various externally funded research centres but in 2002 moved to the Department of Sociology.

Since 2014, utilising her knowledge and experience of European funding programmes Paula has been responsible for coordinating and managing the centre’s large multi-partner European projects. This involves working with academics and service professionals from across MMU and other European Universities. Although Paula’s specialist area is project managing European programmes she also has a role on other externally funded projects within the unit.

Research expertise

Paula is PERU’s Project Manager with over 20 years’ experience of European funding programmes including Socrates, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF- Objective 3, Objective 4 and Adapt) and most recently Framework 7 and Horizon 2020 Programes.

Project management on the following MMU led and PERU coordinated projects;

• COhort cOmmunity Research and Development Infrastructure Network for Access Throughout Europe (COORDINATE)  a research and innovation programme project funded European Commision Horizon 2020  scheme co led with University College Dublin. The COORDINATE project brings together 22 partners from 13 countries  to develop the first ever Europe-wide survey to track the wellbeing of children as they grow up, providing data to inform the policies that directly affect their lives. This 4 year project started on 1st  April 2021 and has been awarded €5m 
• The European Cohort Development Project (ECDP) a research and innovation programme project funded European Union’s Horizon 2020 (H2020) scheme. This is an intensive 18 month, 16 partner consoritum from across 13 European countries. The total project funds awarded is over 2 million Euros. The project period is from January 2018 - December 2019.
• Innovative Social Investment: Strengthening communities in Europe (InnoSI) a research and innovation project funded by Horizon 2020 (H2020). A 30 month, 22-partner consortium with total project funds of EUR 2,375, 832.25 for the period May 2015 – October 2017.
• Measuring Youth Well Being (MYWeB) a coordination and support action project funded by Framework 7 Programme (FP7). This is a 30 month, 13 partner consortium with total project funds of EUR 1,493,481.50.

Project management of Manchester Met team on the following three year H2020 Projects;

• Co-creation of Service Innovations in Europe (CoSIE) . This is a 36 month, 24 partner consortium led by Turku University of Applied Sciences. Total project funds awarded is just under 5 million Euros of which MMU has secured 370,000 Euros. (Project start date 1st December 2017)
• Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe (MiCREATE) . This is a 36 month, 15 partner consortium led by the Institute of Social Studies at the Koper Science and Research Centre, Slovenia. Total project funds awarded is 2,840,364.50 million Euros of which MMU has secured 357,996.25 Euros. (Project start date 1st January 2019)