Tallinn University researchers are welcomed by renewed project support team

Starting from April 2023 a renewed project support team started within the Knowledge Transfer and Project Support Office. The four members provide support for all Tallinn University researchers in project planning, writing, budgeting, and managing in WD steps.

Stéphane Lobbedey and Xavier Dubois will be advising research coordinators and researchers on pre-award services. Stéphane will also be the manager of the Project Support Unit. Kairi Märk continues to give pre-(and post-)award advice on projects budgets and newly joined projects administration specialist Mari Hõbemäe will be giving advice on projects related information in Tallinn University document management system WebDesktop (WD) and overseeing the projects related data there. 

The renewed team the project support unit also invites researchers to submit project support requests (previously five pagers), information in the internal web will be updated in the coming weeks. All inquiries can be directed to the joint mail address projektid@tlu.ee or corresponding expert. 

Meet the team

Stéphane Lobbedey, Senior Expert and Advisor (stephane.lobbedey@tlu.ee)
Stéphane Lobbedey has a  Master’s degree in geography (Lyon 2 University - France) and a multidisciplinary Master’s Degree related to coastal and maritime activities and development (Montpellier University – France). He has led his career in the maritime and coastal sectors, but also in renewable energies and hydrogen, in the private and public sectors. Stéphane was head of the renewable energy department at the Normandy Region before moving to Estonia in November 2021. During his career, he has been involved in international cooperation and European projects (writing proposals notably LIFE and INTERREG / managing INTERREG Europe’s “APPROVE” project). He has also been in charge of the management of European structural funds for more than 15 years. In Estonia, he worked for a consulting company and got knowledge on HORIZON EUROPE grants (ERC/MSCA/RIA-IA-CSA/EIC Pathfinder).

Xavier Dubois, Expert and Advisor (xavier.dubois@tlu.ee)
Xavier Dubois started working at Tallinn University in 2023. After studying English and German at University, he started working with Horizon Europe for a private company based in Estonia. He is now working as a pre-award expert in European Grants at Tallinn University, providing support with screening, proposal writing and data management.

Kairi Märk, Project Advisor (kairi.mark@tlu.ee)
Kairi Märk has been working in Tallinn University since 2016. She first started in Haapsalu College as project manager and is currently working in two offices: in Strategy Office as Development Projects Coordinator and manages the ASTRA measure project TLÜ TEE, and in Knowledge Transfer and Project Support Office as Project Adviser. Her main role regarding new and ongoing projects is to give advice in budget related matters.

Mari Hõbemäe, Project Management Specialist (mari.hobemae@tlu.ee)
Mari Hõbemäe started at Tallinn University in April as a Project Management Specialist. She has almost 19 years of experience as a civil servant, gained at the Ministry of Rural Affairs  (Agriculture), as well as during a one-year rotation at the Government Office of Estonia, and also experience in the private company Webware. Mari is a graduate of the Tallinn Technical School of Light Industry, specialising in administrative work, holds a Bachelor's Studies of Social Sciences degree in Information Science and a Master's studies of Social Sciences degree in Record Management from Tallinn University, and has also need to complete the Master of Human Resource Management  at Tallinn University of Technology. Throughout her career, she has been involved in strategic goal setting and planning.