The Working Group for the HRS4R seal of La Fe Health Research Institute starts a new stage after the renewal of this European distinction.

The Working Group (WG) for the HRS4R seal of La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) has met again, after achieving the renewal of this distinction awarded by the European Commission. In this new stage, the head of International and leader of the WG, Rita Diranzo, has presented the new members that will form part of this group and has also introduced a new work dynamic to establish the objectives that the institution must meet in the coming years.

On 30 September, IIS La Fe was visited by the evaluation team for the renewal of the European Strategy for Human Resources for Researchers seal. During this day, the evaluators analysed and documented the progress made by the institution, in relation to compliance with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, as well as the actions planned in its Action Plan, and exchanged views with the management, management and research staff on the work being done on HRS4R.

Both the evaluators and the favourable renewal report issued by the European Commission agreed that the new Action Plan proposed by the WG was too ambitious. Therefore, in this session, it was agreed to work on the reorganisation of a new plan that is more realistic and, at the same time, meets European expectations in terms of human resources.

In groups of three, the members of the WG worked on each of the pillars of the Action Plan (ethical aspects; recruitment; working conditions; and training and development), assessing the current situation of the institution and contributing their proposals for improvement. All this information, which has been collected using the GAP Analysis format, will be analysed by the head of the WG so that, in future sessions, this material can be worked on and an Action Plan can be defined that will allow the institution to continue improving in the area of human resources.   

HRS4R Strategy

The HRS4R strategy is the mechanism through which the European Commission seeks to improve employment and working conditions for European research staff, thus contributing to improving the attractiveness of scientific careers. One of the cornerstones of this strategy is the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, adopted in 2005 by the European Commission as a recommendation to the Member States.

The Charter sets out a set of general principles and requirements defining the roles, responsibilities and rights of researchers, employers and companies and public funding institutions. The Code stresses the importance of open and transparent recruitment procedures and selection committees, both diverse and experienced.

IIS La Fe was first awarded the HR Excellence in Research accreditation and seal in 2015, in accordance with the European Commission's Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R). At that time, IIS La Fe was a pioneering centre in Spain to apply and pass the assessment process. So far, 697 organisations have received HR Excellence accreditation, of which 150 are in Spain.