HR Excellence in Research Award
23 May 2012
Liverpool John Moores University has been successful in gaining the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award.
To get this distinction, employers and funders of researchers have to demonstrate clear progress in how they attract, manage and develop research staff, which is part of a concordat to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK, and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of UK society and the economy.
Professor Trevor McMillan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for research at Lancaster University said on behalf of the UK panel which reviewed the submissions:
"I am delighted to be able to announce that a further eight organisations in the UK have gained the European HR Excellence in Research Award. The award acknowledges the commitment of these organisations to continual improvements in their support for researchers as part of the strategy to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of the research base in the UK".
Ellen Pearce, Director of Vitae and the UK representative on the European Commission HR Strategy Group said:
"Vitae are committed to enhancing the quality and output of the UK research base, through supporting the training and development of world-class researchers. We are delighted that a further eight UK organisations have gained international recognition for their commitment to developing research careers. However, there remain challenges in providing frameworks for career progression in competitive funding environments and we hope that the number of UK institutions with the Award will continue to grow in coming months".
A UK-wide process enables UK higher education institutions to gain the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award, which acknowledges their alignment with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment. The UK process incorporates both the QAA Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers to enable institutions that have published Concordat implementation plans to gain the HR Excellence in Research Award. The UK approach includes ongoing national evaluation and benchmarking.
Vitae is supported by Research Councils UK (RCUK), managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation and delivered in partnership with regional Hub host universities.
Further information about the Concordat and the University’s implementation summary and action plan can be found at http://ljmu.ac.uk/RGSO/98678.htm. The Concordat Task Group will now continue to work with colleagues and stakeholders across the University to further embed the Concordat principles and deliver against the action plan.
Anyone interested in becoming involved in the work of the Concordat Task Group should contact Dr Sue Spiers (s.spiers@ljmu.ac.uk). Over the coming months stakeholder workshop events will be organised to provide opportunities for researchers to express their opinions and help continue to shape the way the University supports its research staff.
Vitae is the UK organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of postgraduate researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. For more information about Vitae activities, visit the website www.vitae.ac.uk
