17.04.2015 change 17.04.2015

Ministry of Science encourages to sign the European Charter for Researchers

Photo: Fotolia Photo: Fotolia

The European Charter for Researchers contains principles that specify the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers. To date, only 16 Polish institutions signed the Charter, which is why the Ministry of Science is launching a campaign to encourage signing and implementing its principles.

"We are launching a big campaign to promote the European Charter for Researchers, whose integral part is the >>Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers<<. For us, the implementation of these documents is very important, because we are receiving many signals that working and career development conditions not everywhere meet the criteria we would expect" - said last Wednesday during a press conference Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Lena Kolarska-Bobińska.

The European Charter for Researchers was prepared in 2005 by the European Commission. It establishes the general principles defining responsibilities and entitlements of researchers and their employers and funders. It contains obligations to ensure stable employment conditions for researchers, but also the conditions allowing to reconcile work and family life, promoting the mobility of researchers. It also defines the rules for access to research training, career counselling, as well as the recruitment procedures for many positions, and evaluation of the work of the researcher in terms of the whole spectrum of his duties.

Over the 10 years of its existence, the Charter has been signed by 1200 universities and research organizations in 35 countries. Among them are only 16 Polish organizations. Signing the document - as the Minister of Science emphasised on Wednesday - is of great practical importance. Application of the principles set out in the Charter is already mandatory, among others, in some Horizon 2020 competitions, so signing this document may facilitate the acquisition of EU grants.

Those institutions that have signed the Charter and apply its principles may also apply for the HR Excellence in Research badge, awarded by the European Commission. So far only five Polish institutions have received it: the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS in Warsaw, the Institute of Plant Genetics PAS in Poznań, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw and the Foundation for Polish Science. "The badge adds prestige to scientific institutions, and attracts foreign researchers. It proves that such an institution is a worthy partner, because it observes the principles of the Charter" - emphasised Minister Kolarska-Bobińska.

"This is primarily a sign of prestige and image of a reliable employer on European and global markets. Our institute has always tried to recruit scientists from abroad. On job ads portal for scientists - Euraxess - institutions that have this barge are marked with it, which gives them better chance to employ top scientists" - said on Wednesday deputy director of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology Prof. Marta Miączyńska.

Research units that have ratified the Charter and apply for the badge HR Excellence in Research, must determine which elements of their management and personnel policies are consistent with the principles of the Charter. "On this basis, they prepare a strategy and action plan for obtaining the badge. Then, these documents must be sent to the European Commission, which must approve them" - explained the Minister of Science.

In order to encourage research institutions and individual researchers to sign both documents, the Ministry of Science took action to popularise the implementation of both the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The minister has already sent letter on the subject to rectors of the universities and heads of research units. "We have also asked the National Science Centre and the National Centre for Research and Development, Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish Accreditation Committee, and the Committee for Evaluation of Research Units for proposals for action to implement the Charter" - said Kolarska-Bobińska.

The Committee for Evaluation of Research Units has already declared that obtaining the badge will be awarded and integrated into the research units evaluation system. The National Science Centre will also include holding the HR Excellence in Research badge in their grant programs. "We want the entire system to begin to operate consistently in the new academic year" - declared the Minister of Science.

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