Human Resources Strategy in Research – HRS4R

Project: HR Excellence in Research University of Ostrava

Reg. No.: CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_028/0006225

Logo

The University of Ostrava obtained one of significant awards related to the HR policy in research. It has succeeded to fulfil strict criteria of the European Commission and to obtain the HR Excellence in Research Award. Among other institutions having this award, there is for instance Swiss CERN or the University of Oxford.

Our progress so far

In 2005, European Commission created the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers to contribute to development of an attractive, open, and permanent European labour market for researchers, where regulations shall enable to recruit and keep high quality researchers in environment supporting effective work and productivity.

European policy of human resources management in the field of science and research has been supported also by Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports by means of Operational Programme Research, Development and Education. University of Ostrava has also joined this programme and has become a successful applicant for support from the Ministry of Education with the project “HR Excellence in Research na Ostravské univerzitě”.

In November 2017, University of Ostrava sent commitment letter to European Commission including endorsement of principles of Charter and Code and commitment to take the necessary steps to implement HR strategy in compliance with principles of Charter and Code to obtain the “HR Excellence in Research Award”. Consequently, by November 2018, we must provide the European Commission with results of our Gap Analysis and Action Plan.

University employees got involved in the project by completing a survey, which was distributed through the university in the second half of May 2018.

To achieve the best results and correct procedures in processing the application for the HR Excellence in Research logo, we have cooperated (and we are going to keep cooperating) with other universities as well, Czech and foreign, in the form of international workshops and study visits.

The European Commission awarded UO the “HR Excellence in Research Award” in May 2019.

We performed Interim Assessment in June 2021. European Commission will now assess the results of the Interim Assessment. Once it will be done, our progress and new targets will be assessed every three years.

For the period July 2021 – June 2024, the University of Ostrava implemented an updated Action Plan as part of the interim phase of the HRS4R process. This revised Action Plan built upon the initial goals and focused on several key areas of improvement:

Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment (OTM-R): We refined our recruitment and selection procedures to align with OTM-R principles, ensuring fair and transparent hiring of researchers. New internal guidelines and bilingual materials for job applicants were introduced, making our recruitment more open and international in scope.
Researcher Career Development: We established stronger support for the professional growth of our researchers. This included launching training, creating a framework for regular evaluation and career development plans for research staff, and improving onboarding processes for new employees. For example, a new internal system of annual staff evaluation and career development was put into practice in early 2023, helping researchers set career goals and receive feedback.
Working Conditions and Research Environment: The Action Plan also aimed at enhancing the overall working environment. We invested in internal communication and recognition of research achievements, strengthened support services (HR and administration), and promoted research popularization. A dedicated HR Award Steering Committee and working groups continued to oversee these changes, embedding the Charter & Code principles into everyday practices at the university.

Key Achievements: Thanks to the 2021–2024 Action Plan, we successfully implemented most of the planned measures. The principles of the HR Strategy for Researchers have now been integrated into several internal regulations and policies at the University. We have a stable internal structure (HR Award committees and HR support roles) that ensures ongoing implementation of HRS4R. Recruitment at the University is more transparent and internationally accessible, researcher satisfaction and development opportunities have improved through new training and career support, and overall we have strengthened the quality of human resources management in research. These outcomes not only benefit our current staff but also make the University of Ostrava a more attractive institution for talented researchers worldwide.

New Action Plan 2024–2027 and On-Site Visit: In 2024, following an internal review of our progress, the University prepared a new Action Plan for July 2024 – June 2027 (the renewal phase of HRS4R). This plan builds on previous achievements and addresses new priorities in line with evolving European standards. It emphasizes: ethics and research integrity, equal opportunities and gender equality, open science practices, as well as further enhancements to recruitment and career development systems. The updated plan was submitted to the European Commission as part of the internal review for renewal in mid-2024. We are now awaiting an on-site visit by external evaluators from the European Commission, who will visit our University to assess the implementation of the HRS4R in practice and evaluate our progress. This evaluation visit is the final step in the renewal process and will determine whether the University of Ostrava retains the HR Excellence in Research Award for the next period. We anticipate the site visit in late 2024, and we are confident that our continuous improvements will be positively received.

2023 Update of the European Charter for Researchers: It is worth noting that in 2023 the European Commission revised the European Charter for Researchers, merging the original Charter & Code into a single updated Charter. This new Charter (adopted by the EU Council in December 2023) places additional emphasis on better working conditions, equality and inclusiveness for researchers, modernized research career assessment, and other improvements. The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers initiative Europe-wide will henceforth be based on this updated Charter. The University of Ostrava fully endorses these developments – moving forward, we will align our HRS4R actions and future strategic plans with the principles of the 2023 European Charter for Researchers to ensure we continue to provide an attractive and supportive environment for our research staff. (See the updated European Charter for Researchers (2023) for more details.)

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