Charter and Code
In 2005, the European Commission adopted a European Charter for Researchers (the Charter) and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (the Code). The Charter & Code address researchers as well as employers and funders in both the public and the private sectors.
The Charter & Code are key elements in the EU’s policy to boost researchers’ careers.
The Charter provides a set of 40 general principles and requirements which specifies the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers as well as of employers and/or funders of researchers. The Code promotes open and transparent recruitment and appraisal procedures.
The goal of the Charter & Code is to ensure a relationship between researchers and employers/funders that stimulates good results in terms of generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating new knowledge and technological development, and career development for researchers. The Charter & Code also recognise the value of all forms of mobility and means of enhancing professional development of researchers.
The recommended principles are in relation to following four main areas:
- Ethical and Professional Aspects
- Recruitment and Selection
- Working Conditions and Social Security
- Training and Development
HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R)
The HR Strategy for Researchers (euraxess.ec.europa.eu) is a tool for research institutions and funding organisations to implement the Charter & Code in their policies and practices. The implementation of the Charter & Code principles makes OsloMet more attractive to researchers looking for a new employer or a host for their research project.
With the HRS4R Award, the European Commission recognises the institutions which make progress in aligning their human resources policies to the 40 principles of the Charter & Code, based on a customised action plan/HR strategy.
The HRS4R logo reflects OsloMet’s commitment to continuously improve the human resources policies in line with the Charter & Code, notably the commitment to achieve fair and transparent recruitment and appraisal procedures.
Recruitment, working conditions and career development for researchers at OsloMet
OsloMet is actively supporting the EU programmes for researcher mobility. By signing the Charter & Code, OsloMet is committed to ensure transparent recruitment processes and equal treatment of all applicants. The aim is to ensure fair conditions for researchers, with the clear intention to contribute to the advancement of the European Research Area.
The GAP-analysis shows that Norwegian legislation and OsloMet’s practice comply with the Charter & Code principles, but our analysis shows that there is room for improvement as defined by action points in the Charter & Code Action Plan, and quality development should thus be a continuous process.
HRS4R certification process
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Endorsement 2009
In 2009, the President of the Oslo University College signed a letter of endorsement for Charter & Code.
In 2011, OsloMet (former HiOA) was established through a merger between Oslo University College and Akershus University College. Both institutions recognised and approved the principles of the Charter & Code before the merger.
In 2012, a preliminary GAP analysis to assess the 40 Charter & Code principles showed that there were room for improvement in many areas.
Gaining a solid understanding of what researchers needed was important. Since then academic positions are published regularly in the EU job portal Euraxess Jobs, there is a focus on diversity, research support in the EU programmes, and international recruitment. The focus on mobility in research and internationalisation across all faculties and research centres is increasing.
The work on completing the GAP analysis and action plan was accepted for the HRS4R application from the OsloMet Board in December 2015.
In February 2016, the application was sent to the EU commission to implement Charter & Code at OsloMet.
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First certification 2016
On 16 March 2016, OsloMet received the certification from the EU Commission to use the "HR Excellence in Research" logo.
The OsloMet Action Plan 2016-2018 provides an overview of the strategies, focus areas, ongoing projects and action points relevant to the Charter & Code.
The HR Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) is a commitment to work on our action points and to implement improvement measures, as well as make systematic self-assessment of progress and results. We aim to update a progress report and publish news on progress and results.
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Internal review
The internal review of the Charter & Code certification was published on 5 March 2018. The documentation includes the HRS4R internal review and the OTM-R checklist.
Each action point as listed in the Charter & Code action plan for 2016-2018, has a status update on those steps that are completed, partly completed or not completed. Target indicators with detailed explanations are also included.
Since the 2016 certification, OsloMet has launched a new Strategy 2024 with a clear focus on internationalisation and digitalisation.
An external review will be carried out in 2021.
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education and Erasmus Policy Statement
The Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) contains the fundamental principles to be respected by all higher education institution participating in the Erasmus+ programme. Erasmus+ is the EU programme to support education, training, youth and sports in Europe. This is the parallel to the EU's Horizon Europe research programme.
The Erasmus+ programme comprises all levels of education from early childhood to adult education. The programme focuses on quality in education and training in a lifelong learning perspective through digitalisation and linking education, research, work life and society at large. Equally important are the environment and fighting climate change, international cooperation, diversity and inclusion.
Each year, the calls for proposals cover various types of international cooperation activities that may include students, staff, education and training institutions, as well as stakeholders representing employers and governing bodies.
OsloMet's Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (PDF)
OsloMet's Erasmus Policy Statement (PDF)
European Universities Foundation (EUF)
OsloMet is associated member of European University Foundation (uni-foundation.eu), a foundation aiming to accelerate the modernisation of the European Higher Education Area. The foundation focuses its action on five pillars and it stands for diversity and social fairness in Higher Education. The EUF are coordinating or partnering in a lot of projects related to quality, employability, digitalization, competences in staff, mobility and policy innovation.
European Universities Association (EUA)
The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 universities and national rectors’ conferences in 48 European countries. The EUA is the largest and most comprehensive organization for universities in Europe. As many as 17 million students are enrolled at EUA's member universities.
OsloMet was admitted as a full member in 2016. In addition, the cooperative body for universities, Universities Norway (UHR), is a founding member of the EUA with full rights. All UHR member institutions are collectively affiliated to EUA. OsloMet has also been listed as a member of the EUA network EUA Council for Doctoral Education since 2016.
EUA is the voice of the universities of Europe. The organization is a support to the member organizations and a target backer of the interests of individual institutions and of the European university sector as a whole. EUA plays a crucial role in the Bologna Process and in influencing EU policies on higher education, research and innovation. Through EUA, European universities often express their views to the European Commission and the European Parliament and other policymakers on behalf of the sector. Through continuous interaction with a range of other European and international organizations, EUA ensures that the independent voice of European universities is heard.
The membership gives OsloMet a great opportunity to collaborate with other universities in Europe on our common interests and it provides unrivalled opportunities to share best practices by participating in projects, events and other mutual-learning activities involving a wide range of universities.
EuroHealthNet
EuroHealthNet is a not-for-profit partnership of organisations, agencies and statutory bodies working on public health, disease prevention, promoting health, and reducing inequalities.
Their Mission:
- To improve and sustain health between and within European States through action on the social determinants of health.
- To tackle health inequalities.
EuroHealthNet supports members’ work in EU and associated states through policy and project development, knowledge and expertise exchange, research, networking, and communications.
European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA)
EARMA represents the community of Research Managers and Administrators (RM&As) in Europe. The members work in industry, academia, the public and private sectors. EARMA work with the EU Commission, national and international funding agencies. EARMA provides a networking forum, a learning platform, and a place to share experiences and best practice among RM&As throughout EARMA and in the wider RM&A community.
EARMA is an active member of the wider international RM&A community and is a founding member of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS)
EARMA members work at the forefront of building the European Research Area. They form the interface between research funding organisations and the scientific community, bridging cultural and legal differences between countries, and between academia and industry, contributing to policy consultations, and managing the smooth running of research projects.
