Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS

HR Award - The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers

In December 2019, the Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS decided to subscribe to the principles contained in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of New Staff . Our goal is to create such conditions in the IEM CAS that would entitle us to receive the HR Award (HR Excellence in Research).

This is a prestigious award, which demonstrates a standardized level of setting up processes in the HR area, especially the quality of working conditions, a non-discriminatory approach to selection, hiring and further career work within the organization.

The Charter itself is a set of principles and requirements that define the relationship between the employer and researchers, specifying the roles, responsibilities and rights of the parties and ensuring that the conditions are set for freedom of research, development, knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing and dissemination, and the development and professionalism of activities.

Expected benefits of the project

• Setting standards for working with human resources
• Ensuring transparency in the recruitment and selection of new researchers
• A guarantee of equal conditions and career development
• Taking into account and recognizing the value of international mobility
• A response to bottlenecks identified in GAP analysis
• Setting up a new strategy in the field of cross-sectoral cooperation and technology transfer, international cooperation, popularization of R&D and others
• Higher employee satisfaction
• Increasing the prestige of the institute and its integration into the pan-European network of holders of this award
• International attractiveness and visibility in the domestic and international environment
• Maintaining the set personnel processes for years to come
• Easier access to funding for research projects

Project schedule

Preparatory phase

• Feasibility study and the so-called Endorsement letter (12 / 2019)

Analytical phase

• Area questionnaire survey (3 / 2020)
• Interviews with employees (5 / 2020)                                
• Workshops (7-8 / 2020)
• GAP analysis (10 / 2020)
• Action plan (11 / 2020)
• Sending internal analyzes and the Action Plan to the European Commission (12 / 2020)             

Implementation phase

• Gradual implementation of the individual points of the Action Plan (1/2021)
• HR Excellence in Research Award (9/2021)

Outputs

• Outputs from the questionnaire survey

• Processing of outputs from questions asked beyond the scope of the HR Award survey
• Outputs from workshops
• Outcomes of interviews
• GAP analysis
• Action plan

On 6 September 2021, the European Commission accepted the previously submitted documents, appreciated the care taken to align HR processes with the principles of the Charter and the Code for Researchers and concluded that the GAP analysis and the subsequent Action Plan meet all the requirements for the "HR Excellence in Research" award. 

Starting in September 2021, we will move into the implementation phase of the process, which will last 24 months. During that time, we aim to fulfil the outstanding commitments from the Action Plan so that we maintain a high standard for HR work and reassert our claim to holding the award after the stipulated two-year period.

Other specific goals of the project:

• Strategic setting and the  development of international cooperation in R&D and internationalization of the research organization. The specific objective is focused on the creation of a Strategy for International Cooperation in Research and Development and the Internationalization of a Research Organization, which sets out the criteria for the selection of researchers sent on internships abroad. Furthermore, translations of working documents into English will be prepared, with which foreign workers may come into contact, ie work regulations, work reports, internal regulations, directives, orders, forms, instructions. The language competencies of IEM staff will be increased through professional English courses. Workers sent on internships abroad will increase their expertise and get acquainted with the principles of managing and financing a foreign organization.
• Strategic setting and the development of cross-sectoral cooperation and technology transfer. As part of the specific objective, a Strategy for the Development of Cross-Sectoral Cooperation, Intellectual Property Management, will be created and the related internal guidelines concerning the protection of intellectual property and the commercialization of the IEM's scientific outputs, will be revised.
• Strategic setting and the development of R&D popularization. An internal document will be created defining the possibilities and internal processes for researchers to disseminate research results. Through a series of training, researchers will be better prepared for direct communication with the public, and thus their presentation and communication skills will be improved.

In addition to our efforts to obtain the HR Award, we have received the Ethnic Friendly Employer Award in accordance with the objectives of the Action Plan. This confirms our equal treatment of ethnic minorities among our employees and the promotion of an open society policy.

This project The Capacity Development of the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Reg. No. CZ.02.2.69 / 0.0 / 0.0 / 18_054 / 0014590 is supported by the Operational Program Research, Development and Education. The project is co-financed by the European Union.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact: Jan Rupp, MBA / HR manager /  jan.rupp@iem.cas.cz

Project committee

Project Team Organization

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• Action plan
• OTM-R (Open, Transparent and Merit-based approach)
• Strategy for the recruitment and training
• Strategy for the cross-sectoral cooperation and knowledge transfer
• Strategy for the development of international cooperation in research and development
• Communication and marketing strategy