Coordinator Club a hub for coordinators of integrated research

A couple of times per semester, the Coordinator Club gets together for discussions and sharing experiences. The topics covered are those that have come in from members. The activities are then planned by a programme committee. Coordinators and research administrators from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary centres, infrastructures and other organisational units at Uppsala University are all welcome here.

The need for place to meet

Linda Almgren, project coordinator at the Centre for Integrated Research on Culture and Society (CIRCUS), is the contact for the Coordinator Club. CIRCUS has been a part of the Uppsala University Future Institutes (UUniFI) since the start of 2026. She says:

“The idea for the Club came up at a meeting that CIRCUS initiated with the Centre for Women’s Mental Health (WOMHER) and AI4research. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the organisational conditions for integrated research at Uppsala University. The meeting was attended by the Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-Rectors and representatives from various departments and centres. It became clear that there was a need for a place for coordinators and research administrators to meet,” she explains.

CIRCUS and WOMHER then started the Coordinator Club in spring 2022. It turned out to be just the kind of meeting place that many had been wanting.

“Here, coordinators, research administrators and other administrative staff working in interdisciplinary research environments or activities can meet and talk,” says Linda Almgren. “In the Coordinator Club, they can discuss common challenges and share experiences related to their roles in integrated research at Uppsala University.”

Breakfast meetings, lectures and discussions

The meetings in the Coordinator Club have different themes and purposes. They come in the form of breakfast meetings with informal mingling followed by the meeting itself, short lectures, workshops and joint discussions. In spring 2026, the theme is science communication. Other topics that have been covered include research data plans and the processing of research data, career pathways and skills development for research coordinators.

“Work with the career pathways theme led to the development of the Peer Tutorial Programme for Research Coordinators at Uppsala University, a special initiative,” says Linda Almgren. “The programme was implemented by the Career and Leadership Development Centre, and offered structured peer support and knowledge sharing for the University’s research coordinators.”

The activities of the Coordinator Club are planned by a programme committee with a revolving membership based on voluntary engagement. It is the committee’s task, in dialogue, to plan and shape the content of the get-togethers based on the participants’ needs and shared areas of interest. CIRCUS has a coordinating role for the Club.

“Information about the Coordinator Club’s programme can be found in the CIRCUS events calendar,” says Linda Almgren. “There is also a Club e-mailing list that you can join to get more information and a link to register for events.”

Ulrika Hurtig