The University of Poitiers endorses the European Charter for Researchers.

The European Commission has made recommendations to Member States (JO L75 / 67 of 22.03.2005) on the rights and duties of researchers and their employers, in order to generalize and harmonize best practices in terms of recruitment, conditions of employment and work, facilitate mobility and increase the attractiveness of the job of researcher by offering real career prospects. These texts, known as the “European Charter for Researchers” and the “Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers”, have no binding value but the organizations that adopt them commit to change their practices to reach the ideal framework proposed.

To support the institutions that wish to implement this charter and this code of conduct, the European Union has set up a tool: the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, HRS4R.

This tool is intended as a document analyzing the state of affairs and the development in the institution. The underlying mechanisms are:

-individual implementation by the institution on a voluntary basis;

-institutional self-assessment in respect of the autonomy of the institution;

-simplicity, flexibility and customization in line with the overall institutional strategy;

-transparent and iterative process

The HRS4R appoach includes 5 steps:

1. Internal analysis of current practices, involving key players in research (gap analysis, or “conformity analysis”);
2. Publication of the main results of the analysis on the institutional website, with proposed actions to achieve the identified objectives;
3. Request for recognition of the strategy by the European Commission;
4. Implementation within the institution through its quality assurance mechanisms, with self-assessment after 2 years;
5. External evaluation after 5 years.
6. Continuation of HRS4R label via 3-year cycles

Institutions that have engaged in the process can therefore be recognized by the European Commission at their request for this approach. Recognition (HRS4R labeling) is a guarantee of quality of the institution and a real asset for the development of European projects and in particular for mobility actions.

On September 22, 2017, the Administration Council of the University of Poitiers voted unanimously to adopt the European Charter for Researchers principles and for recognition of the definition of the researcher of Frascati and the community of the Research. The adherence to the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers at University of Poitiers is a message of commitment and strong change addressed to all researchers but also to the entire university community.

The University of Poitiers is now focusing its efforts on career and mobility development. The University is also committed to strengthening the support to young researchers and promote developments in areas such as gender equality in selection and evaluation committees.

Although the recommendations of the Code concerning recruitment are already widely respected in terms of job posting, selection procedures and transparency of selection criteria, the University of Poitiers is also committed to assessing the merit of researchers from broader criteria than just publications, such as recognition of mobility and its consideration in the career.

By subscribing to the principles of the Charter, the University of Poitiers makes the attractiveness of the research professions one of the main stakes of its policy in order to contribute to the construction of the European Research Area.

As such, the University of Poitiers emphasizes the importance of the field of research and its attractiveness by offering career development opportunities in order to achieve harmonization and generalization of good recruitment practices, training and support for early-stage (PhD) and experienced researchers.

Since October 2017, Poitiers University has been involved in the implementation of this project: the first task was to make a diagnosis on the current state of implementation of the 40 principles of the Charter and the Code. This work led to the development of an action plan that was submitted to the validation of the Strategic Committee (composed of members of the Rector’s Board, incl. the HRS4R Coordinator, as well as Directors of Central Offices and Representatives from the Research community), as requested by the European Commission.