European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award
What is the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award?
What does the Concordat set out?
How does the University of St Andrews gain the award?
How is the University progressing its application?
Fairness = Funding
Useful links
The all-staff consultation period for the HR Excellence in Research Award ended on the 10th February 2012. Thanks to all those who sent their comments. The working group will continue to meet regularly throughout the year to progress the actions and if you would like to send any additional feedback or comments about the project, please email cat.wilson@st-andrews.ac.uk .
This feedback staff members contributed was considered by the working group and incorporated into the action plan. The document is laid out around the 7 principles of the Research Concordat, and we would like to particularly highlight the following sections for different groups of staff to be familiar with:
Post-doctoral research staff: 2.1-2.4, 3.2, 3.4-3.6, 5.6, 6.4, 6.9
Principal Investigators: 1.3, 2.1-2.4, 3.9, 4.10, 5.5, 6.4
Head of School: 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1
View the Action Plan: HR Excellence in Research action plan (PDF, 244 KB)
What is the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award?
A UK-wide process enables UK HEIs to gain the European Commission's HR Excellence in Research Award, which acknowledges their alignment with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment. The UK process incorporates both the 'QAA Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes' and the'Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers'
The University has to demonstrate how it is implementing the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, a document created in 1996 (and revised in 2007). The concordat is signed by a number of bodies, including University Research Councils and Universities UK.
What does the Concordat set out?
The Concordat sets standards for the career management and conditions of employment of researchers employed by HEIs on fixed-term or similar contracts and funded through research grants or analogous schemes. It has been used as a general reference point for good practice across the UK higher education sector.
The Concordat is based on 7 principles, which the University must demonstrate.
- Principle 1: Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research.
- Principle 2: Researchers are recognised and valued by their employing organisation as an essential part of their organisation’s human resources and a key component of their overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.
- Principle 3: Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.
- Principle 4: The importance of researchers’ personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career.
- Principle 5: Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning.
- Principle 6: Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers.
- Principle 7: The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective review of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.
How does the University of St Andrews gain the award?
- An internal analysis by the University or funding organisation, involving all key players, to compare policies and practices against the Charter & Code principles.
- On the basis of the results of this analysis, the University develops its own HR strategy for researchers which should include a concrete action plan (made public).
- The analysis and action plan are then reviewed and acknowledged by the European Commission. The acknowledgement implies the right to use the 'HR Excellence in Research' logo.
- Progress in the implementation of the strategy and action plan is subjected to a self-assessment after 2 years.
- An external evaluation is carried out at least every 4 years.
How is the University progressing its application?
On 17 November 2011 a strategic steer was taken in the University in the formation of an ’HR Excellence’ working group. To date, meetings have resulted in a 26-page Action Plan to satisfy the criteria of the 7 Principles by the following members:
CAPOD representatives
Senior Research Policy Officer
Director of HR
Equality & Diversity Officer
Careers Adviser
Senior Academic (Professor/Principal Investigator, and Chair of the group)
The group now wishes to consult with all members of the University, but particularly Research and Academic staff to seek feedback and comments on the document. The consultation period will run from 27th January 2012 until 10th February 2012. Any comments on the document and proposed action plan should be sent to:cat.wilson@st-andrews.ac.uk
The group is planning to submit the University’s proposal to the European Commission on 16th March 2012.
The European Commission are increasingly building references to the ‘European Charter and Code’ into funding criteria. Being awarded the ‘HR Excellence in Research' badge will help demonstrate to funders of our institutional commitment to meeting the principles of the ‘European Charter and Code’.
The European Commission HR Excellence in Research award website
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/research/
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/capod/staff/postdoc/
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/rpo/
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/
