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HRS4R label: European human resources strategy for researchers
On December 4, 2020, the University of Angers received the "HR Excellence in Research" label which recognizes the establishment's commitment to a process of continuous improvement in the recruitment, reception and support of its research staff. Since then, the UA has continued to deploy its strategy to guarantee the best working conditions for its researchers and participate in the construction of the European research area.
The “HR Excellence in Research” label is issued by Euraxess, an organization linked to the European Commission.
HRS4R commitments
The label breaks down the overall qualitative strategy into four main areas.
Ethics and professional responsibility
UA fully respects the ethical and deontological operating principles, starting with academic freedom. It is strongly committed to issues of equality and non-discrimination, gender balance, respect for intellectual property, etc. Training is systematically provided to doctoral students, and an integrity referent and an ethics committee are in place. This system has been supplemented by the appointment of an equality referent, and will be reinforced by systematic training of staff on all these issues in order to track down prejudices.
Recruitment and career development
Recruitment is the subject of particular attention by the UA in order to guarantee the principles of merit, transparency and openness, and to guarantee fair treatment of candidates, whatever the jobs. Improving the way commissions, committees and juries operate is an ongoing process. It involves ongoing training, particularly for presidents, in order to disseminate good practices, but also involves more complete information for candidates and harmonization of practices. Harmonization does not, however, mean standardization. The current project must therefore integrate the specificities of each position, discipline, category.
Working conditions and quality of the professional environment
Working conditions represent a permanent construction site. In a context very strongly constrained by a double deficit in financial and human resources, the university manages to offer a quality working environment which is recognized as such. She is also very concretely committed to staff equality, and therefore non-discrimination. The objective is to better identify difficulties in the exercise of the profession and in the professional environment, and to support staff by developing mentoring or referent systems.
Training and professional development
Staff training is a strong element of the UA, which can further benefit by combining several research offers offered by various entities. The evolving nature of skills and needs – the health crisis has highlighted this – requires a permanent effort to identify needs and appropriate training, whether for teaching or project management and administrative structure responsibilities.
The different phases of the project
The initial 2020-2025 project
The University of Angers adhered from the beginning to the process of establishing the European Research Area and its philosophy by signing in 2007 the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, published by the European Commission in 2005. By formalizing its HRS4R approach in 2019, UA engaged in a collective process of continuous improvement: the working conditions of its researchers and staff involved in research; open, transparent and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R); career support.
Initial file submitted to the EC: human resources strategy for research (HRS4R)
Results of the 2019 HRS4R survey
The mid-term evaluation and the revised 2023-2025 plan
HRS4R is a quality approach for which the UA has implemented regular monitoring, including in particular a self-assessment and an update of the action plan at mid-term and then at the end of the cycle. Awarded for an initial period of 5 years, the “HR Excellence in Research” label is renewable in cycles of 3 years. Carried out in December 2022, the mid-term self-assessment was positively assessed by European Commission experts, accompanied however by a certain number of recommendations that the UA is committed to implementing.
Mid-term self-assessment and EC recommendations
Revised action plan (version quarter 4, 2024)
Revised HRS4R steering (version quarter 4, 2024)
UA Open, transparent, merit-based Recruitment (OTM-R) Charter
Next deadlines
During 2025, the UA will carry out an end-of-cycle self-assessment and, on the basis of a survey of the community of researchers and staff involved in research and collective reflection, the AU will define its new action plan for the period 2026-2029 and prepare for the arrival on site of EC experts in spring 2026.
The UA action plan
The 40-action plan for the 2020-2025 period focuses on four main themes:
- Recruitment (Actions 1 to 11)
- Ethics, Non-Discrimination, and Gender (Actions 12 to 21 and 40)
- Training (Actions 22 to 30)
- Staff Support (Actions 31 to 33 and 35 to 39)
Revised Action Plan (Q4 2024 version)
Recruitment
- Training on gender-neutral job descriptions
- Candidate information
- Recruitment, advancement, and remuneration of contract employees
- Communication on recruitment issues and procedures
- Use of Euraxess
- Training for selection and recruitment committees
- Professional simulation exercises
- Redefining and promoting the post-doc status
- HR management tool for selection and recruitment committees
- Digitalization of application files for recruitment
- Toolbox for candidates
Ethics, Non-Discrimination, and Gender
- Ethics and deontology information at UA
- Ethical training for the business world
- Creation of a deontology mission
- Definition of the author (deontology)
- Definition of the co-author – signature charter
- Training on intellectual property
- Information on gender and disability
- Training on stereotypes
- Gender representative
- Monitoring young researchers (mentoring, gender)
- Training on institutional rules and the higher education and research system (ESR)
Training
- Training on leadership roles
- Training on project development
- Training on recruitment
- Training on PhD supervision
- Training on Open Access
- Reorganization of doctoral training based on competencies
- Doctoral student training plan
- Opening the doctoral course catalog to associate professors (MCF)
- Opening the SATT Ouest Mooc on Intellectual Property
Staff Support
- Visibility of key contacts
- Professional interviews
- Professional integration of young faculty members
- Information on researchers’ rights and obligations
- Local resource person for career support
- Career and mobility support tool
- Customizable intranet
- Recognition of engagement in outreach activities
Cross-Cutting Action
- Translation into English
Project management
