OBJECTIVES
Introduction
By HRS4R Seal Strategy The aim is to align the University's internal policy with the principles of the European Charter and Code for Researchers. The ultimate goal is to proactively foster a dynamic and inclusive culture of research excellence within the University.
The Strategy represents an opportunity for the researcher:
- It ensures that hiring conditions are open, transparent and based on merit.
- It accompanies you in your training and professional development.
- It strengthens the research community by promoting synergies between lines of research and collaborations between researchers.
- It provides the researcher with tools to carry out their activity safely and in appropriate working conditions.
- It encourages URJC researchers to be in a competitive position at a European and international level.
The Strategy is structured in the following three Phases:
Phases
- Initial Assessment: Gap Analysis and Action Plan
- Implementation phase: Mid-term evaluation
- Next Steps
- Initial Assessment: Gap Analysis and Action Plan
- Implementation phase: Mid-term evaluation
- Next Steps
Initial Assessment: Gap Analysis and Action Plan
When the URJC obtained the HRS4R Seal, a Initial Action Plan (2020-2022) for the implementation of the Strategy. The Plan analyzed which University actions were already in compliance with the European Charter and Code for Researchers and which areas for improvement existed. To structure the work, the URJC adopted 18 shares aimed at covering the existing gaps in the four axes that define the Strategy: (1) ethical and professional aspects, (2) hiring and selection, (3) working conditions and (4) training and professional development.
Implementation phase: Mid-term evaluation
Currently the URJC is in the implementation phase of the Strategy: implementation of the Revised Action Plan (2023-2025).
El June 11th, 2021 An opening day was held to officially launch the formation of a work team made up of 13 groups in charge of implementing the 18 actions of the initial Action Plan (2020-2022).
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
En julio de 2022 The URJC presented its mid-term evaluation report reporting about of progress in the implementation of the HRS4R Seal Strategy Action Plan in the institution. Overcome the eadministrative eligibility assessment (Administrative eligibility check) in which the European Commission considered that the Internal Report had been completed in a timely manner, the European Commission issued in November of 2022 su Evaluation report (Evaluation Report), concluding that the HRS4R Seal Strategy is completely rooted in the URJC and that no corrective action needs to be taken. As main strength, The European Commission highlighted the URJC's firm commitment to ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the Action Plan by involving both researchers and senior management, ensuring that the voice of researchers is heard and investing in effective communication about the Strategy HRS4R to help researchers understand the Strategy and identify its benefits.
Likewise, the European Commission made the following recommendations:
- La supervision It must be constantly in the sights of the organization, so training courses for supervisors must be given and supervisors must be involved in some way to attend these courses.
- La Reconciling work and family life must be taken into account at all levels (R1-R4) - special action to be included in the next Action Plan.
- Provide support and advice to young researchers to develop their career plans.
- Spread the best practices of other centers and institutions in the application of HRS4R.
- Think and act to attract and retain researchers with talent at a national and international level.
- Take into account the statistics of balance between men and women in all activities (for example, are selection committees balanced between men and women?). Also, consider the representation of doctoral students in the different decision-making bodies related to their work.
- Schedule regular consultations so that the voice of all researchers is heard (e.g. survey on training needs, working conditions, post-pandemic stress, adaptation to working from home, etc.). Make the results public and address these needs with specific actions and programs so that everyone can see the institution's prompt reaction to researchers' problems.
- Promote the participation of researchers in the communication of science to society; It will be important for the visibility of the organization in the community and will increase prestige and positioning in the market.
Next Steps
In light of the European Commission report and its recommendations, the Rey Juan Carlos University has designed a Revised Action Plan (2023-2025) including three new actions aimed at improving the communication and dissemination of the HRS4R Strategy tools among the research community. Furthermore, the URJC, consistent with its commitment to continue applying and aligning its internal policies with the European Code and Charter of Researchers, continues with the initial actions as shown in the following Table:
Specifically, the Manual of Good Practices in Research (A.18 of the initial Action Plan) continues to be developed through the preparation of a Mini guide to Good Practices on gender equality, diversity and inclusion in research. A Working Group has been established to carry out this activity. The Mini-Guide to Good Practices is scheduled to be published and available, in both English and Spanish, in the first quarter of 2025.
In addition, the work carried out in matters of prevention of occupational hazards (A.4 of the initial Action Plan). The form created to evaluate possible risks in research projects is widely used by the research community and new training programs are developed to raise awareness among research personnel in these matters.
Finally, with the adoption in January 2024 of the Regulation that establishes the procedure for hiring research, technical and/or research management personnel to carry out scientific-technical tasks at the Rey Juan Carlos University, the group in charge of Action 2 – OTM-R Principles has been renewed, in order to achieve the following objectives:
- Incorporation of the Seal logo in all recruitment calls
- Promote the attraction of international research talent:
- Regulatory bases translation into English
- Publication of calls in euraxess
- Researcher Attention Office: start-up. The Office will be called the Center for Attraction and Internationalization of Research Talent (CAIT). The action gets underway with the presentation of the IMÁN project on March 20 and the launch of the call for hiring the office technician on February 26.
- Map of figures of teaching and research staff.
- Infographic content review to summarize the contents of the Regulation and translation.
In conclusion, although new actions are contemplated and implemented in the revised Action Plan, the work carried out by the 13 Working Groups of the initial Action Plan has permeated the policies of the URJC to guarantee a good work environment for the researchers who favor the development of their research career in the best conditions, granting them more time to research and for said time to be of higher quality.
En November of 2025 The URJC will present its final evaluation report of the second phase of implementation of the HRS4R Label Strategy and will receive a visit from the European Commission. After this visit, you will go to the HRS4R Seal Renewal Phase in which the URJC must demonstrate that its actions and policies are fully integrated with the principles and recommendations of the European Charter and Code of Researchers.