Int. J. Project Organisation and Management, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2015 251 Copyright © 2015 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Project management for academic research projects: balancing structure and flexibility Hélène Riol* and Denis Thuillier Department of Management and Technology, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada Email: riol.helene@courrier.uqam.ca Email: thuillier.denis@uqam.ca *Corresponding author Abstract: Academic research faces new methods of knowledge production that trigger a need for managing research by projects. However, the literature reports friction between management and research. In this study, we investigate whether and to what extent academic research projects can be managed using classical project management (PM) principles. An analysis of managerial facts from interviews with ten university researchers indicates that research projects are PM-compatible considering certain structural similarities and a cultural acceptance of PM value. However, the human factors and uncertainties inherent in research are not addressed by classical PM. A grounded analysis allows for modelling a PM perspective that integrates soft and hard contingent aspects equally by combining structured and flexible approaches adapted to managing projects of an exploratory, uncertain and complex nature. We thus developed a prescriptive framework for facilitating PM implementation in academic research at the institutional, organisational and operational levels. Keywords: academic research projects; scientific research; exploratory projects; project management; research management; contingency; complexity; uncertainty; balancing project management. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Riol, H. and Thuillier, D. (2015) ‘Project management for academic research projects: balancing structure and flexibility’, Int. J. Project Organisation and Management, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp.251–269. Biographical notes: Hélène Riol is a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Her previous research interest focuses on the molecular biology of aging. However, after a working experience as a scientific project manager in a governmental laboratory of biotechnology, she got interested in how researchers manage their projects and whether conventional project management is suitable for this particular type of project. She completed a Master degree in Project Management at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQÀM). Denis Thuillier, an Engineer (ENSCI, Paris) and PhD in Applied Economics (Aix-Marseille III), is a Full Professor, Department of Management and Technology, at ESG-UQÀM, Montreal. He was the Director of Master Programmes in Project Management at this university. A member of the Project Management Chair (ESG-UQÀM), its recent research focus on investigating