Presentation given at the seminar "How to attract and retain excellent researchers?" that took place in Oslo on 19 January 2011. The seminar was organised by the Research Council of Norway together with the Association of Higher Education Institutions, Norway. For more details see http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/Event/How_to_attract_and_retain_excellent_researchers/1253963126263?lang=en.

1. 1
Charter & Code and
HR Strategy for Researchers:
Background and State of Play in a
European Context
Dr. Dagmar Meyer
European Commission
DG Research and Innovation
Unit B2 - “Skills”
Seminar “How to attract
and retain excellent
researchers?”
Oslo, 19 January 2011

2. 2
Background / History
• COM Communication (2001) “A Mobility Strategy for
the European Research Area”
• COM Communication (2003) “Researchers in the ERA:
One profession, multiple careers”
• COM Recommendation to MS (2005) on a “European
Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for
their Recruitment” – based on broad stakeholder
consultation process
• Follow-up activities focusing on implementation: EU
Presidency Conferences London (2005), Vienna (2006),
and in a broader context: Rennes (2008), Brussels (2010)

3. 3
European Partnership
for Researchers
• ERA Green paper – Expert Group report (2008) on
“Realising a single labour market for researchers”
• COM Communication (2008) “Better careers and more
mobility: a European partnership for researchers”
Four main themes:
 Open recruitment and portability of grants
 Meeting the social security and supplementary pension
needs of mobile researchers
 Providing attractive employment and working conditions
 Enhancing the training, skills and experience of researchers
• MS to develop National Action Plans demonstrating
implementation of the EPR (implementation monitored)

4. 4
State of Play –
Charter & Code
• More than 260 individual endorsements from 30
Member States & Associated Countries, plus various
International/European organizations (increase of more
than 100 during 2010)
• Representing more than 1000 individual institutions
• First endorsement from Russia (Tomsk Polytechnic
University)
• But still some Member States and Associated Countries
without any endorsements
• Activities related to Charter & Code reported in EPR
Reports 2009/2010 by various countries; direct and
indirect references in the National Action Plans

5. 5
Endorsing the C&C is
good, implementing
their principles is better!
• “Signing” the C&C just the first step (but important –
increased visibility for institution/organisation, country and
the whole ERA)
• “Signing” the C&C means endorsing its principles and
making a commitment to work towards improvement – it
does not mean to sign a legal document!
• Coordinated approach necessary to turn words into
action:
 New tool to support the implementation of the Charter
& Code: “HR Strategy for Researchers”

6. 6
How does the HR
Strategy for Researchers
work?
HR Strategy implemented via a 5-step voluntary
programme:
• Internal gap analysis by the institution, involving key
institutional stakeholders, in particular also researchers
• Development and publication of institutional HR
strategy for researchers and action plan (what, by
when, by whom) in response to gaps identified
• Acknowledgement of progress by Commission (Logo
“HR Excellence in Research”)
• Self-assessment of progress after two years
• External analysis after four years

7. 7
What are the key aspects of
the HR Strategy Process?
• This mechanism is a support tool.
• It is thus voluntary.
• It is also light to apply and flexible in its validation
and verification approach.
• It recognizes the variety of situations across
institutions and organisations.
• The result should be meaningful and reliable
information on the actions to implement the Charter
and Code principles, which is easily available to the
public at large.

8. 8
Logo to be used exclusively by
institutions having received the
acknowledgement:

9. 9
“HR Strategy Group”:
exploiting synergies and
learning from each other
• “Institutional HR Strategy Group” set up in summer of
2009 (3 meetings so far, 2 more to come)
• 45 members: universities (e.g. UiO, NTNU), research
institutions (e.g. NHRF – National Hellenic Research
Foundation), funding bodies (e.g. Research Council Norway),
multipliers (e.g. VITAE), etc.
• Second cohort just starting its work (UiB & UiT members)
• Progress so far: 16 group members acknowledged, plus 23
UK institutions carrying out process on the basis of the UK
Concordat under coordination by VITAE, plus first “external”
institution

10. 10
What’s next?
• Third cohort of “Institutional HR Strategy Group” in 2012
• Aim: include all major public employers of
researchers in Europe (critical mass, spill-over
effects)
• Stronger reference to principles of Charter & Code in FP8 ??
• Already reality in ‘People’ programme
• Working more closely with funders and umbrella
organisations for increased impact
• Utilise expertise of HR Strategy Group for consultations
related to EU policy initiatives in relevant areas (increased
focus on advisory role of the group)

11. 11
More information:
visit the EURAXESS portal, section
“Rights”, at
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/rights

12. 12
Thank you for your attention!
dagmar.meyer@ec.europa.eu