HRS4R at the University of Lleida
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The UdL is firmly committed to improve the quality of teaching and research activities by developing structures, facilitating the access to new methods and instruments and boosting international collaboration. Our organization proposes a set of actions to strengthen and develop research strategy as well as to increase the visibility of UdL in the international context, by promoting the activity of individual researchers, research groups and centres to highlight their areas of expertise: Agri-Food, Biomedicine, Sustainability, and Social and Territorial Development.
UdL endorsed the European Commission’s “European Charter for Researchers” and “Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers” in June 2013, with the commitment to respect the entitlements and fundamental principles described in both documents (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter-code-researchers). Thus, the objective of UdL is to apply these principles within its human resource policy and to promote transparency, accessibility, equity and pursuit of excellence in the recruitment of researchers. At the same time, UdL believes that this initiative facilitates the creation of the best possible framework for its researchers’ career development.
Within this context, UdL aimed to obtain the "HR Excellence in Research" award, which gives public recognition for institutions that progress in the alignment of its human resource policies with the Charter&Code (C&C) principles.
The logo implementation comprises the following steps:
- Endorsement of the C&C (UdL, 2013)
- Application for the HR Award (UdL, 2016)
- Initial assessment and first implementation phase (2017-2019)
- Interim Assessment (2019)
- Renewal with site visit (2022)
- Award renewal phase
In 2016, a commission including members of different research units and administrative structures was set up in order to carry out the internal analysis, as well as to prepare the first action plan for the HRS4R acknowledgement (Action Plan 2016).
The HRS4R project has been disseminated to UdL’s research community during the application stage. The active collaboration of the UdL collectives, especially those related with the research area, has been key for the development and submission of the project and is also fundamental to carry out the successful implementation of the action plan during the forthcoming years.
An Internal Gap Analysis (legislation review and survey) led to the detection of the most relevant actions that must have been implemented at UdL and resulted in an Action Plan to cover the 2017-2019 period. This Action Plan was mainly focused on the review of the dissemination rules for recruitment and selection, redefining the good practices in research and the selection and recruitment protocols, improving the research environment, promoting the career development and specific training of researchers and revising the mechanisms of complains and appeals for researchers.
The UdL’s Vice-Rectorate for Research successfully submitted the project to the European Commission on the second week of November 2016 with the aim of obtaining the HRS4R acknowledgement.
In February 2017, UdL was acknowledged with the “HR Excellence in Research Award” and started the first implementation phase of the Action Plan 2016.
The Interim Assessment, which reflected the progress and improvements of the HRS4R project at the UdL, was submitted in April 2019. This assessment included a review of the strengths and weaknesses under the 4 thematic areas of the Charter and Code, the Revised Action Plan 2019 and an overview of the implementation process.
Together with the Interim Assessment, the UdL also submitted the OTM-R checklist, which defines the status of the institution in “Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment” principles.
In July 2022, UdL submitted the Internal Review for being evaluated and reach the award renewal phase. During last implementation phase (2019-2022), the institution implemented most of the actions described in the Action Plan 2019, which include: Good Practices in Research and Transfer, Welcome Manual, Career Options document, Professional Development Plan and the New Research and Transfer webpage, among others.
All these documents are available in Catalan, Spanish and English in the following links:
https://www.recercaitransferencia.udl.cat/ca/gestio-de-la-rdi/Normatives/
https://www.recercaitransferencia.udl.cat/ca/convocatories/informacio-dinteres/
OTM-R policy
UdL is firmly committed to the principles of open, transparent and merit-based selection and recruitment processes. Thus, the Statutes of the UdL state that the recruitment of staff is in accordance with the principles of equality, merit and ability for access to public employment and in accordance with the terms set out in the applicable regulations, which is fully in line with the OTM-R principles.
Regarding the recruitment of researchers under R&D&I projects or agreements, the UdL has implemented actions over the last few years to align all selection and recruitment procedures with European policies and, at the same time, adapt them to changes in state regulations.
In this context, the UdL has approved the OTM-R policy for R1 (Predoctoral Researchers) and R2 (Postdoctoral Researchers). The purpose of this document is to compile the strategy on the researcher’s selection and recruitment financed through R&D&I projects or technology transfer agreements.
The Steering Committee of the HR Award, together with the discussion and working groups of researchers and administrative staff, has defined the Improve Action Plan 2022 which includes three new actions aligned with C&C principles and institutional priorities.