Founders
Marija Gačić
Marija Gačić holds a PhD in Business Economics. After working in the manufacturing and banking sectors, she began her career in managing and monitoring EU projects at the University of Kragujevac ten years ago.
Since 2017, she has been engaged as a project manager at the Research and Development Center for Bioengineering BIOIRC Ltd. Kragujevac, which has successfully implemented over 20 projects funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, FP6, FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe programs of the European Union, as well as a number of commercial projects in the field of bioengineering.
She is involved in all phases of project preparation and implementation, with a focus on budgeting, finance, and reporting.
Marija is an active member of the BESTPRAC group (https://earma.org/bestprac/), the Finance Working Group (WG2), and continuously improves her knowledge in the field of EU project management and administration.https://earma.org/bestprac/), radna grupa za finasije (WG2) i konstantno unapređuje svoje znanje u oblasti upravljanja i administriranja EU projekata.
Bojana Ivanović Bovan
Bojana Ivanović Bovan has amassed over 14 years of professional experience as an independent expert associate for international cooperation at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Organizational Sciences.
Her responsibilities span a wide range of international activities, including managing international projects, fostering cooperation among higher education institutions, facilitating international mobility for students and staff, and organizing international events.
As a Research Management Administrator (RMA), Bojana has contributed to the successful implementation of over 20 international projects funded by the European Union and other organizations such as the Council of Europe, Horizon Europe, UNDP, Erasmus+, USAID, EuropeAid, ONR, GIZ, LLP, Tempus, WUS, and FP7. Her roles included providing financial and administrative support as well as active participation in project teams. She has also played a vital role in organizing spring and summer schools, international conferences, and other events both in Serbia and abroad.
Bojana has completed over 20 training programs for international staff and RMAs across institutions and universities in Serbia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Albania, Sweden, and Croatia.
Marina Matović Kostić
Marina Matović Kostić brings over a decade of experience in managing research projects, having led and successfully coordinated numerous projects funded by European Union programs and other financial sources. She has managed the financial aspects of more than 30 projects spanning various frameworks, including LLP, FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and COST Actions. This extensive experience has given her deep insight into budgeting, fund management, reporting, and regulatory compliance. She honed her expertise as a financial project manager within the Science Promotion Centre, where she was responsible for preparing budgets, devising financial strategies, and ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting in line with diverse requirements.
Currently, Marina serves as the Head of the Sector for Financial, Legal, and Administrative Affairs at the Science Promotion Centre. As an active member of the BESTPRAC network, she plays a key role in strengthening Serbia’s research project management community. She is also a co-founder of SARMA (Serbian Association of Research Managers and Administrators).
Marina holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Banking and Financial Management from the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade. She completed her undergraduate studies at the same institution, earning a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Economics, specializing in business management, statistics, finance, banking, and insurance.
Marija Šola Spasić
Marija Šola Spasić has over 15 years of experience in successfully managing international and national research projects, having worked as a project manager in some of Serbia’s leading research institutions – including the Dedinje Cardiovascular Institute, the School of Electrical Engineering, and the University of Belgrade. Throughout her career, she has been strongly committed to improving the conditions for implementing research projects and has actively contributed to the development of the Research Management and Administration (RMA) profession in Serbia.
In parallel, Marija has served as National Contact Point (NCP) for financial and legal issues within major European research and innovation programmes – from FP7 to Horizon Europe. Her experience includes both training grant beneficiaries and hands-on management of EU-funded projects, including programmes such as FP7, CIP, IPA, H2020, Horizon Europe, as well as higher education initiatives such as Tempus, Erasmus+, and others.
As a finance expert in the RMA field, Marija led Working Group 2 – Finance within BESTPRAC, a prestigious European network that connects research managers and administrators across Europe. She continues her engagement through the EARMA-BESTPRAC thematic group, which now brings together more than 600 members.
By education, she is an economist; by role, a mother; and by professional calling – a pioneer in the development of the research administration profession in Serbia.
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