The European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers were published in 2005 as European Commission guidelines for researchers, employers, and research funding bodies in the public and private sector.
The European Charter for Researchers describes the rights and obligations of researchers, as well as those of the institutions which employ them and of the bodies that fund research. . The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers lays down the principles to be followed by employers in recruiting researchers, ensuring equal treatment in recruitment for all researchers.
Lodz University of Technology, recognising the impact of the principles of the Charter and the Code on ensuring a superior working environment and high-standard of research, and also appreciating the significance of the work performed by researchers, decided in 2012 to begin the process of implementing the standards of the Charter and the Code, pledging its commitment to the principles provided in these documents.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers list forty principles. A review conducted by the University revealed that a majority of national regulations, internal rules, and good practice at Lodz University of Technology were aligned with the principles of the Charter and the Code. Nevertheless, in 2016 the HR Strategy for Researchers, including Action Plan for 2016-2018 and Human Resources Development Policy at Lodz University of Technology, based on the provisions of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers were formulated for the areas deemed by the University to be of paramount relevance, and to further integrate the principles of the Charter and the Code. (poster to promote the Strategy).
Following an external evaluation, the European Commission (EC) decided in May 2016 to award Lodz University of Technology with the HR Excellence in Research. Lodz University of Technology is the first university of technology and the third such institution in Poland to be awarded by the EC, which acknowledges the significance of the strategy adopted by Lodz University of Technology and its planned HR actions that confirm the university's commitment to the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
In 2018, Lodz University of Technology took stock of the two-year period of implementation of the HR Strategy for Researchers. Representatives of researchers employed at the University and representatives of the University's administrative units were involved in the process of drafting the report on the implementation of actions taken in 2016-2018. The Internal Review is a result of their work. Among the actions undertaken open public consultation was carried out which resulted in the formulation of the Action Plan 2018-2021 and revised Policy of Human Resources Development at Lodz University of Technology. The documents were approved by the Rector and the Senate of Lodz University of Technology.
During the implementation of The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, University’s OTM-R Policy (Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment) was developed, as was the OTM-R checklist in the spring of 2018.
In May 2018, the findings of the internal self-assessment and the 2018-2021 Action Plan were submitted to the European Commission for approval.
The Steering and Monitoring Committees established by the University leadership were transformed in 2018 into the Implementation Committee.
On 18 October 2019. Lodz University of Technology and National Contact Point for EU Research Programmes co-organised a national convention of institutions awarded with the HRS4R, which was attended by the representative of the European Commission, Michele Rosa-Clot, and the Director of Centres de Recerca de Catalunya in Barcelona, Lead Assessor in the HRS4R process, Lluís Rovira Pato.
In the autumn of 2021, the leadership of the University reinstated the Steering and Monitoring Committees. The Steering Committee is composed of heads of scientific disciplines and a representative of doctoral candidates. The members of the Monitoring Committee are heads of the units responsible for the particular actions, and their support staff. The two Committees examined the 2016 Gap Analysis and, having taken the opinions of research staff and doctoral candidates, a new HR Strategy for Researchers 2022-2024 and Action Plan 2022-2024 were formulated. The OTM-R checklist was revised and Ordinance No. 80/2021 of the Rector of Lodz University of Technology of 17 December 2021 on the manner and procedure for conducting competitions for academic staff positions at Lodz University of Technology OTM-R Policy – OPEN TRANSPARENT MERIT-BASED RECRUITMENT came into effect. Internal Review of the activities carried out by Lodz University of Technology in 2018-2021 was performed and has been submitted to the European Commission to start the HR Excellence in Research award renewal process.
90-924 Lodz, Poland