The European Charter for Researchers

Contact person

Grzegorz Narolski
Director
Legal and Organisational Department

tel.: +48 81 537-51-20
e-mail: gnarolski@hektor.umcs.lublin.pl

General information

Creating a friendly scientific environment and transparent rules for recruitment, and providing researchers with stable working conditions and professional development are the key factors guaranteeing the increase of the attractiveness of academic careers, research and education quality and competitiveness of the university. The European Commission helps to achieve these criteria, which - as part of a strategy called Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) - gives them the logo "HR Excellence in Research". HR Logo honors institutions active in the field of R & D (eg. research institutes, universities, enterprises) and research funding organizations, which implement the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of researchers and academics to its internal regulations. Charter and Code, adopted by the European Commission in 2005 describe the rights and obligations which both researchers and the institutions employing them are subject to. Both documents outline the need to create good and stable working conditions for researchers at every stage of their careers.

Granting HR logos aims to increase the number of researchers in the EU and improve the attractiveness of their working conditions. The European Commission supports institutions implementing the principles of the European Charter and Code by organizing meetings and discussions with the institutions involved. Moreover, it promotes such institutions among international organizations and researchers as those that provide the best working conditions and development opportunities.

Having a logo HR is rewarded, among others, in international EC grant competitions (such as Horizon 2020), the national grant competitions NCN and NCBiR and competitions and funding science programs run by Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The logo for the university means prestige and distinction as an institution which creates the best working conditions for researchers and provides adequate space for the development of science, in accordance with European standards.

Definitions

The European Charter for Researchers is a set of general principles and requirements which specifies the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers as well as of employers and/or funders of researchers. The aim of the Charter is to ensure that the nature of the relationship between researchers and employers or funders is conducive to successful performance in generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge and technological development, and to the career development of researchers. The Charter also recognizes the value of all forms of mobility as a means for enhancing the professional development of researchers.
The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers consists of a set of general principles and requirements that should be followed by employers and/or funders when appointing or recruiting researchers. These principles and requirements should ensure observance of values such as transparency of the recruitment process and equal treatment of all applicants, in particular with regard to the development of an attractive, open and sustainable European labour market for researchers, and are complementary to those outlined in the European Charter for Researchers. Institutions and employers adhering to the Code of Conduct will openly demonstrate their commitment to act in a responsible and respectable way and to provide fair framework conditions to researchers, with a clear intention to contribute to the advancement of the European Research Area.

Legal basis

The rationale for the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers is Article 32 of the Agreement Grant (Grant Agreement) entitled Recruitment and working conditions for researchers, which requires the beneficiaries of all funded projects within the Horizon 2020 program to make every effort to implement the principles contained in Charter and Code.

ARTICLE 32 — RECRUITMENT AND WORKING CONDITIONS FOR RESEARCHERS.

32.1 Obligation to take measures to implement the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The beneficiary must take all measures to implement the principles set out in the Commission Recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers 41, in particular regarding:

working conditions;
transparent recruitment processes based on merit, and
career development.

The beneficiary must ensure that researchers and third parties involved in the action are aware of them. 32.2 Consequences of non-compliance.

If the beneficiary breaches its obligations under this Article, the [Commission][Agency] may apply any of the measures described in Chapter 6. 41 Commission Recommendation (EC) No 251/2005 of 11 March 2005 on the European Charter for Researchers and on a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (OJ L 75, 22.03.2005, p. 67).

Advantages (benefits) for the University of owning logo HR Excellence in Research - between others:

Rewarding a scientific unit in international grant competitions of the European Union within the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020;
Rewarding scientific unit in national grant competitions of the National Centre for Science and the National Research and Development Centre;
Rewarding a scientific unit in competitions and science funding programmes of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW);
Committee for Evaluation of Scientific Units while delivering a parameter evaluation of a scientific unit in 2017 will grant an appropriate number of points (point 16 of survey - Information about the major achievements of the entity during the period covered by the survey in the remaining effects of scientific activity or activities in the arts);
Prestige and honor for the University as an institution which creates the best conditions for researchers to work on realizing scientific activities or research and development (R+D) in accordance with European standards;
A significant increase in the level of attractiveness of employment at the University which creates a pleasant working environment for researchers and which respects transparent rules for the recruitment of staff;
The right to place advertisements on the European platform of recruitment of EURAXESS researchers.

Implementation procedure

6 September 2016
JM Rector, prof. dr hab. Stanisław Michałowski signs a declaration of support for the declaration of principles and recommendations adopted in the European Charter for Researches and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

6 September 2016
Declaration of support for the principles and recommendations adopted in the European Charter for Researches and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers is sent to the European Commission.

9 September 2016
Presentation by the Vice Rector for Scientific Research and International Cooperation an idea of implementation of principles of the Charter and the Code at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University.

19 September 2016
JM Rector, prof. dr hab. Stanisław Michałowski signs the Disposition on creation the Committee for implementation of the European Charter for Researches and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (Disposition no. 53/2016), which is responsible for preparing implementation into UMCS of principles and requirements determined in the Chart and the Code, in accordance with the European Commission guidelines. The Implementation Committee shall be comprised of:

Committee President: prof. dr hab. Marek Pietraś
Committee Vice-President: dr hab. Anna Rakowska, prof. nadzw.
Committee Coordinator Zespołu: Grzegorz Narolski
Committee Secretary: Paweł Kucharski

Committee Members:

Agnieszka Krukowska – Director of HR and Payroll Centre
Hanna Jaworska – HR Office
Ewa Kwiatkowska – Payroll Office
Karina Kasperek – Director of Research and International Cooperation Centre
Anna Polaczek-Skiba - Research and International Cooperation Centre
Anna Grzegorczyk – Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre
Maria Brodzicka – Patent Attorney
Grzegorz Kseniak – Internal Auditor
Marcin Gołębiowski – Director of Promotion Centre
Katarzyna Kołbut – Promotion Office
Aneta Adamska - Spokesperson
Wojciech Widelski – Director of LubMAN UMCS
Sylwia Pawłowska-Jachura – Internal Legislation Office

and research staff representatives:

prof. dr hab. Zbigniew Hubicki
dr hab. Anna Żukowska, prof. nadzw.
dr hab. Wojciech Janicki
dr hab. Andrzej Kapusta
dr hab. Piotr Łuczkiewicz
dr Karol Dąbrowski
dr Agata Kusto
dr Joanna Reszko-Zygmunt
dr Robert Zubel
mgr Anna Tudruj

Employees responsible for the preparation of organizational, legal and information documentation, including in particular developing the HR Strategy and the Action Plan:

Agnieszka Krukowska
Karina Kasperek
Grzegorz Narolski

The first meeting of the working group at which the implementation schedule will be developed. The group works out a preliminary procedure for preparing the implementation of provisions of the European Charter for Researches and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

20 September 2016
Thorough discussion on principles and forms of preparation of internal analysis of documentation (meeting of the working team responsible for internal analysis).

22-23 September 2016
During the meetings an exact verification binding legislation and internal regulations of the University was made (meeting of the Working Team responsible for internal analysis).

26 September 2016
Presentation and discussion on thoroughly supplemented standard table of internal analysis of documentation (meeting of the Implementation Team).

27 September 2016
Approval of the final content of survey questions concerning the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin addressed to scientific-teaching, scientific-research, engineering-technical, engineering-research employees and to doctoral students (meeting of the Implementation Team).

28 September – 16 October
The integral part to our application is an anonymous survey carried out among our researchers, scientific and teaching staff, PhD students, scientific and technical staff as well as engineer and technical staff on 28 September – 16 October 2016. In case of scientific and technical staff as well as engineer and technical staff, the survey covers only those who have submitted the declaration of belonging to scientific and development staff (so-called declaration of “N” number).

The above-mentioned survey is available at: https://ankiety.umcs.pl/surveys/9/.

In order to complete the survey you need to log in using user’s name and a password used for the USOS system. The instruction for logging is available at: www.umcs.pl/pl/dostep-do-systemu-usos-dla-nauczycieli-akademickich,4222.htm.

In case of any questions, please contact:

for technical problems: usosweb@poczta.umcs.lublin.pl
for content-related questions: organizacja@poczta.umcs.lublin.pl

The success of our university in obtaining the HR Excellence in Research logo depends on the appropriate percentage of completed and returned surveys.

1 October 2016
Discussion on procedures of analysis of survey results and appointment of the Working Team responsible for the survey.

17 October 2016
An initial analysis of the results of survey was made and division of responsibilities was determined between different members of the Working Team responsible for the survey (meeting of the Implementation Team and members of the Working Team responsible for the survey).

18 October 2016

Maria Curie Skłodowska University receives an official response from the EC regarding the Declaration of support for the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, sent previously. The Commission acknowledges the endorsement letter and expresses its hope that UMCS will go further in the process by undergoing the implementation mechanism of the Charter and Code. UMCS is placed in the list of other institutions which have already expressed their support for the Charter and Code in the same way: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/charterAndCode#P

15 November 2016
Strategy for researchers (HRS4R) was sent to the European Commission.

21 November 2016
The Team for Implementation appointment – a summary of the HR Strategy and Action Plan being prepared.

10 February 2017
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University received the Consensus report form to UMCS Application for the "HR Excellence in Research" award.

14 February 2017
The Team for Implementation analysed the remarks contained in the Consensus report form to UMCS Application for the "HR Excellence in Research" award submitted by Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), received on 10 February 2017.

23 February 2017
An appointment of the Team monitoring implementation of the principles concerning the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.

12 April 2017
Corrected Strategy "HR Excellence in Research" and “Short explanations about the changes introduced in follow-up of the experts” was sent to the European Commission.

6 June 2017
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University achieved the 'HR Excellence in Research Award' from the European Commission.

Useful links

Polish versions of documents (files) have been published on the Polish version of the HRS4R website (https://www.umcs.pl/pl/logo-hr.htm). All documents, after being translated into English, will also be published on the English version of the HRS4R website by October 31, 2019.

OTM-R

An essential element of the implementation of the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct during the process of recruitment of research employees is monitoring effects and progress in the implementation of correction and self-improvement actions, as determined in the HRS4R Strategy submitted to the European C by UMCS. For this purpose, a Team was established, the meetings of which were held on quarterly basis.

Members:

prof. Hab. PhD Radosław Dobrowolski - Chairman of the Monitoring Team, Deputy Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs and International Cooperation
prof. Hab. PhD Marek Pietraś - Deputy Chairman of the Monitoring Team, Faculty of Political Science
prof. Hab. PhD Zbigniew Hubicki - UMCS Branch Faculty in Puławy
Hab. PhD Wojciech Janicki - Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management
Hab. PhD Piotr Łuczkiewicz - Faculty of Humanities
PhD Karol Dąbrowski - Faculty of Law and Administration
PhD Robert Zubel - Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
MSc Grzegorz Narolski - coordinator of the Team for Implementation, Legal and Organization Department
MSc Karina Kasperek - Research Centre
MSc Agnieszka Krukowska - HR-Payroll Centre

Dates of meetings of the monitoring team:

23 February 2017
25 May 2017

Holiday break

7 September 2017
14 December 2017
22 March 2018
21 June 2018
20 September 2018
13 December 2018
21 March 2019
25 April 2019 – special meeting

The progress of the actions and the calendar of the implementation was monitored on regular basis by the above Committee. After each meeting where the progress of works was analyzed, the Team Coordinator for the implementation and the President submitted to the Rector reports on the execution of the action plan and they also prepared recommendations referring to substantive correction of the assumed solutions and/or the work timetable.