Application to maintain HR Excellence in Research award
Uppsala University has submitted an application to the European Commission to continue to hold the HR Excellence in Research award. The award can be seen as a quality label, and means that Uppsala University is working systematically and in a structured way to develop its recruitment, skills and career development, research ethics, and working conditions. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
Uppsala University has submitted its application to the European Commission to maintain its HR Excellence in Research award. The next step in that process is a site visit on 7 April 2025 by evaluators appointed by the Commission.
Anders Hagfeldt, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
The HR Excellence in Research award can be seen as quality label and means that Uppsala University is a higher education institution that meets the Commission’s requirements as a responsible and professional employer with continuous quality enhancement. The basis for the award is the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (referred to as the Charter and Code).
The award means that Uppsala University is working systematically and in a structured way to develop its recruitment, skills and career development, research ethics, and working conditions. The work to obtain and maintain this award is coordinated by the Human Resources Division.
“We want to be able to attract the best researchers and staff. To do so, we need to be professional and excellent at all levels. This is why the work on HR Excellence in Research is important,” says Anders Hagfeldt, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University.
The overarching aim of the award is to improve the conditions for basic research and to promote an open, European, labour market for researchers. The Charter and Code were developed due to the the fragmentation of researchers’ careers at local, regional, national or sectoral levels in Europe being seen as a barrier to exploiting Europe’s full scientific potential. Many higher education institutions and organisations having adapted their activities to the Charter and Code, which has improved the conditions for researchers to take advantage of mobility opportunities.
Mobility treated as a qualification
Work with the Charter and Code and the award has contributed in various ways to quality enhancement.
“The award is a plus for researchers and we hear from those who work with research support in the University that it is viewed as a qualification in applications for funding from the EU,” says Åsa Furberg, HR specialist at the Human Resources Division and coordinator of the work with the award.
When the University acceded to the Charter, the University’s current status was compared to the Charter using a GAP analysis. This identified areas where there was room for improvement.
“Among other things, it identified that mobility should be treated as a valuable qualification and so it was then included in the Appointment Regulations,” Åsa Furberg says.
Work with the award has also been important in developing the University’s career support and has led to important governing documents being translated and now being available in both Swedish and English to be accessible to all staff.
Recruitment on equal terms
The award has also contributed to work with gender mainstreaming. A training course on teaching staff recruitment on equal terms has been conducted for the employees in the University’s various recruitment committees. Following that initiative, an online course has been developed so that incoming members of recruitment committees can be trained as well. An advanced online course on risks and pitfalls in the recruitment process is currently being developed.
Affects various development projects
Work with this award also affects and is affected by various development projects around the University.
“For example, the University has joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). A lot of what occurs in CoARA goes hand in hand with the content of the new European Charter and work on its implementation is coordinated by the Division for Quality Enhancement in the University Administration,” Åsa Furberg says.
Another development has been the production and implementation of the University’s Staff Policy.
“The Staff Policy is an example of an activity that is in line with the Charter as it aims to contribute to a good working environment, which is one of the four main areas of the Charter,” says Anna Borlund, HR strategist at the Human Resources Division and also coordinator of the work with the award.
Site visit on 7 April 2025
As part of processing the University’s application to maintain the award, three evaluators appointed by the European Commission will conduct a site visit to review the University’s work with the award.
The evaluators will meet with the University Management, the Advisers to the Vice-Chancellor on Good Research Practice and on Equal Opportunities, and the chairs of the recruitment groups. They will also meet with researchers, teaching staff and doctoral students from different parts of the University.
Next steps
After the site visit on 7 April 2025, a written notification of renewal of the HR Excellence in Research award and any recommendations are anticipated within a month or so.
After the site visit and notification of the award, the University will start working on the basis of the new version of the Charter from 2023. At this point, a new analysis will need to be done to see if there are any new areas for improvement in relation to the new Charter.
Anders Berndt
Facts
In 2005, the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (the Charter and Code) were adopted by the European Commission. The two documents are often referred to as the Charter and Code.
The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers has been in place since 2008 to certify a higher education institution’s commitment to and progress towards implementing the Charter and Code principles.
From May 2018, organisations that want to accede to the Charter and Code need to apply for the HR Excellence in Research award at the same time. The award functions as a quality label that reflects a sustained commitment to implementing the Charter and Code principles, and means that the organisation has undertaken to follow the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers.
Uppsala University obtained the HR Excellence in Research award in February 2019. At the time of writing, there are 751 organisations that have the HR Excellence in Research award, of which 18 are higher education institutions in Sweden.
In the first five years after obtaining the award, Uppsala University implemented a number of measures based on the Charter and Code. After the first five years, an application to maintain the award must be made every three years and a site visit is part of every second such application. Uppsala University is the first higher education institution in Sweden to receive a site visit on 7 April 2025. The site visit has been somewhat delayed, partly because of the University’s work with Q&R24.
In December 2023, the Council of the European Union adopted a
European framework for attracting and retaining talent in research, innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. It constitutes a new version of the European Charter for Researchers.