A university “that supports careers in research”
The University of Montpellier has been granted a three-year renewal of its European HR Excellence in Research. This decision reinforces the human resources strategy for research (HRS4R) implemented by theUM since 2015. Providing better career support for researchers, improving their working conditions and promoting their mobility within the European research area, while enhancing the University’s appeal—these are the key elements of a winning strategy.
“In 2015, we were the first French university to earn the ‘HR Excellence inResearch’designation; in 2021, we are the first to have it renewed! This leadership position was highlighted by the international jury, as 50 French institutions now display this logo among more than 600 institutions worldwide,” says Nathalie Modjeska, HRS4R project manager and head of international programs at MUSE. This is a well-deserved source of pride, as this designation reaffirms, for another three years, that the University of Montpellier is an institution“that supports research careers,” the project manager emphasizes.
A certification for researchers
Created in 2008 by the European Commission, the “HR Excellence in Research” label recognizes institutions that implement the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (C&C)—two documents produced by the European Commission to harmonize research practices across the European Research Area. “This label recognizes the University’s commitment to improving working conditions for researchers, promoting researcher mobility within the European Research Area, and providing better career support,” explains Nathalie Modjeska.
“It helps secure the European funding that has been obtained and can also make it easier to obtain such funding, since—given equal scores—a proposal submitted in response to a European call for projects by an accredited institution will be given priority,” she continues . Finally, this is a win for the University of Montpellier, whose job postings published on the Euraxess platform benefit from the advantages associated with this designation—namely, greater visibility and automatic, free publication on the Nature and Science journals’ portal .
Operational and Strategic Groups
Mobility, funding, visibility, appeal… All of which served to motivate the teams as they prepared for the second phase of the evaluation: an on-site audit scheduled for last June. Health and safety concerns prevented the in-person meeting from taking place, but the audit itself did proceed, and the three international experts met with the HRS4R project stakeholders via video conference. First up was the strategic group’s delegation, composed of Vice Presidents Jacques Mercier and François Pierrot, Vice President Agnès Fichard-Carroll, and former Director General of Services Romain Jacquet.
Next was the operational group, composed of five of the thirteen departments involved in the project, namely: the DRI, the DRH, the DIPA, the DRED, and the MUSE Foundation. Next were the four researcher representatives, as “each of them represented a category of researcher as defined by the European Union: a doctoral student for category R1, a postdoctoral researcher for category R2, a lecturer for category R3, and a professor for category R4.“ Europe pays extremely close attention to researchers’ working conditions, starting from the doctoral level,” explains Nathalie Modjeska, who was therefore the last member of the project team to be audited, along with her project assistant, Paloma Hughes.
"Excellent feedback"
A day of presentations, Q&A sessions, and discussions that ultimately led to excellent feedback from the jury. “We received excellent feedback, particularly regarding the University’s best practices in implementing the HRS4R project—both for the interactive workshop organized to collectively define the new actions of the 2020–2023 HRS4R plan and for the expansion of researcher representation within the strategic group, whose membership grew from 4 to 12 ,” the project managernoted . With the label renewed for three years, the University’s HRS4R policy will therefore be reevaluated in June 2024, but based solely on a written review. Since on-site audits are conducted only every other time, the next one is scheduled for 2027. The team, for its part, has already gotten back to work to make the 23 actions in its plan a reality for all staff at theUM, and for researchers in particular.
A 23-point action plan
- Theupdated version for the 2020–2023 period outlines 23 initiatives, many of which are already underway or have even been completed;
- The policy to attract young researchers, postdocs, and established researchers (Action 16);
- Promoting teaching by establishing a teaching award modeled after the innovation award (Action 17);
- Raising staff awareness about developing a personalized career plan (Action 19).
As for new features, these include, among others:
- The creation of a think tank for young researchers and the launch of mixed-group workshops designed to promote dialogue and understanding between researchers and administrative and technical staff (Action 5);
- Continuing efforts toward digitization and administrative simplification (Action 6);
- The creation of a committee to harmonize procedures and foster closer ties with research organizations (Action 7);
- The dissemination and implementation of the OTM-R principles through training and their monitoring in the annual social report (Action 9);
- The pursuit of greater gender balance through the equality plan(Action 12);
- Improving communication regarding the timelines and procedures for career advancement and tenure (Action 18);
- A training program designed to develop managerial skills, offered to all heads of units, departments, and divisions (Action 23).