About the award
In 2005, the European Commission issued a Recommendation to comply with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter & Code).
The award covers four main areas:
- Ethical principles and professional responsibility
- Recruitment
- Working conditions
- Research training and career development
Each of these areas contains a number of principles that a certified institution needs to adhere to, totalling 40 such principles. By obtaining the certiaboficate and implementing the Charter, the University demonstrates that it is an employer that applies transparent and fair recruitment and assessment procedures, has a good working environment, clear career paths and continuously strives to develop in these areas.
In addition, the award facilitates applications for European research funding, and may eventually become a requirem
ent for such applications. The award is also a seal of quality for international recruitment.
Certification work at Stockholm University in 2024
Stockholm University already adheres to many of the 40 principles of the Charter, but there are still areas where the University may improve. By December 2024, the University will submit a report to the European Commission assessing whether it fulfils the certification requirements.
GAP analysis and action plan
As part of the report to the European Commission, the university must produce a so-called GAP analysis to assess in which areas the University needs to develop in order to meet the requirements and thus join the Charter & Code. The work is based on the European Commission's HR Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) tool. One part of this is to compile an overview of national and university-local policy documents linked to each principle; a second part is meetings and interviews with researchers and managers at different levels to create an image of how well the work works in practice. All in all, this is intended to create a basis for a self-assessment of how well the university is doing in relation to the principles set out, and to produce proposals for action in the areas where deficiencies are identified.
Process description
An important part of the report to the European Commission is a description of the work process during the first year, i.e., what information and dialogue meetings have been held, who has been part of these meetings, how opinions have been dealt with, etc. Stockholm University needs to be able to demonstrate that there is good knowledge of the project within the University, and that the analysis of the activities is broadly based.
What happens next?
In addition to certification signalling that an institution meets many of the high-level EU requirements for an employer, certification also commits the institution to continuous quality improvement. This is a multi-year process that will be regularly evaluated by the EU.
As shown in the process map below, the university is now in the initial phase of the first year. Once certified, the university will enter a five-year implementation phase, i.e. a period during which the university's action plan will become a reality, with an evaluation by the European Commission after two years. The action plan will then be renewed and improved and a new six-year implementation phase will begin.
In order to retain the certification, Stockholm University must thus have an ambition for continuous improvement through quality-enhancing measures.
Related links
The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers: HRS4R | EURAXESS
The European Charter & Code for Researchers: Charter & Code for Researchers
Contact details
Project leaders for the project in 2024 are Professor Gunnar Svensson, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, and Professor Mats Börjesson, Department of Child and Youth Studies.