HR Excellence in Research award
Malmö University aims to be an internationally attractive employer and to increase our researchers' opportunities to find funding. In April 2023 the University obtained the EU's HR Excellence in Research award.
Europe should attract researchers
The EU seeks to make Europe more attractive to researchers by
- improving the conditions for scientific freedom
- promoting an open labour market for researchers
- combating all forms of discrimination
- promoting access to knowledge sharing
- promoting continuous quality improvement in European higher education institutions.
Universities should be responsible and professional employers
The EU HR Excellence in Research Award means that the certified university is a responsible and professional employer in terms of recruitment and working conditions for both national and international researchers, regardless of their career stage. It also means that such university is committed to a long-term quality assurance process to ensure continued compliance with the European Charter for Researchers (EU Charter & Code). The charter covers
- ethical and professional aspects
- recruitment and selection
- working conditions, working environment and social security
- training and skills development for doctoral students and researchers.
Links
EURAXESS
EURAXESS
Researchers in Motion is a unique pan-European initiative delivering information and support services to professional researchers.
Ensuring that research time for teaching staff is used more efficiently
The project aiming at a future dental education where educational planning could improve the conditions for cohesive research time is ongoing. Managers have implemented a new planning tool that makes it possible to get an overview of research and teaching time.
The follow-up on the implications of the project on work-time planning is an integral part of the Service Planning Process. The University’s responsibility is to adhere to the collective agreement on working time, ensuring transparent and timely planning for research and teaching. The tools and opportunities to adjust and allocate longer periods for research are available within the framework of the three-year planning.
Professional skills and career development for doctoral students and research staff
The information on academic ranks, positions and employment conditions, opportunities for international mobility and collaboration, as well as on career services on Malmö University’s webpage has been updated and is accessible for current and prospective employees (including doctoral students), in both English and Swedish. The Communication department and the HR department will continue developing the information about career development on the website during 2025.
The International Office has launched a project aiming at informing doctoral students about what support is available to them. Work continues both on university and on faculty level.
The Career Guidance Workshop Series was replaced by a joint Peer Support Network (PSN) between Malmö University and Halmstad University, which was launched in 2023. Due to low participation, the network will not continue.
In addition to existing courses and initiatives in the area of professional skills and career development, the need for further activities is currently being evaluated and proposals for new activities are being considered.
Strengthening the academic leadership
The Leadership Programme for Future Research Leaders has been paused. Instead, a number of other initiatives, aimed at wider reach and target groups, have been taken to strengthen research leadership, including four one-day seminars on research leadership for professors, heads of department, and associate lecturers as well as work to develop a leadership programme for the directors of university-wide research centers.
The survey of how supervisory positions for doctoral students are currently allocated at each faculty has been postponed and university-wide criteria for the distribution of supervisory positions have not yet been developed. However, these questions are currently addressed at several faculties and departments. For example, the Faculty of Education and Society and the research education in social work have established written guidelines for allocation of supervisors.
Supporting employees with issues concerning external research funding
Guidelines and support for how to write a budget for research applications have been developed and made available to the university’s staff. Information and guidelines regarding the Horizon Europe application process are being developed, and a “pre-award support system” will be launched shortly. There is an ongoing project aiming at coordinating how various departments (Grants Office, Finance Department, and Communications Department) work with supporting research staff applying for external research funding. The idea about a course in how to write a research application has been abandoned in favour of individual tailored support to researchers from the Grants Office. The Grants Office has self evaluated its routines, and initiatives are taken to promote a moreuser-oriented approach.
Developing research data management
The Core Facility for Research Data and Data Analysis was established in early 2024 to support researchers in managing research data, conducting data analysis, addressing ethical issues related to research data, and using research IT tools. A dedicated Research Data Office has also been set up to provide expertise in research data management. The support offered is highly appreciated by researchers, although efforts to increase awareness of the services are still ongoing. An online course on Writing Data Management Plans has been launched and is available for researchers to take at any time. The overall goal is to ensure that the support provided by the Core Facility is tailored to researchers’ needs, well communicated, and widely known. Progress is measured by the continuous updating of the online course to meet both researchers’ needs and funders’ requirements, the ongoing review of legal and funder demands with corresponding adjustments to support and governance, and the updating of the university’s guidelines for handling research data when necessary.
Further development of recruitment and reception procedures for international staff
A professional and competent recruitment and reception process for international staff is fundamental. International Staff Support provides support to international employees and guest before, during and after their stay at Malmö university. International Staff Support also provide support to management and administration in the recruitment process or welcoming international guest researchers.
The support will evaluate its support not only to the international staff but also to the managers at Malmö university and staff at the joint university administration to see how they can meet with the universities demands further.
Target
International Staff Support follows up on the requests and needs that university managers and administration staff have through individual meetings on institutional and faculty meetings.
Indicator
- International Staff Support follows up on the requests and needs that university managers and administration staff have through a survey.
Recruitment
Effective strategic recruitment of researchers and teachers, both nationally and internationally, along with good and transparent academic career paths, are key for achieving high quality, excellence, and development in education, research, and collaboration.
Target
Further develop the university-wide framework encompassing regulations, organisation, processes, and support systems to drive high quality as well as ensure objectivity and legal certainty.
Indicators
- Ensure an organisational structure that supports effective and high-quality recruitment and promotion for researchers and teachers.
- Updated and communicated appointment rules and guidelines for recruitment and promotion of researchers and teachers.
Target
Further develop merit assessment criteria considering both subject-specific traditions and innovative interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and educational practices as well as ongoing work with researcher and teacher recruitment, merit assessment, and academic career paths at national and European levels.
Indicator
- Suggestions on which qualifications in education, research, collaboration, and leadership should be employed to assess the merits of researchers and teachers.
Supporting research communication
Further measures are being developed as a long-term strategy to enable more researchers across the university to disseminate research to a wider public. For example, Malmö University has initiated a Media Academy for senior researchers that aims to develop the participants communication skills.
Target
Further develop the Media Academy so that all faculties/research centres have had researchers attend the programme.
Indicator
- Researchers who have completed the Media Academy are visible in future media analyses.
The action plan is based on views from the University's research staff
The action plan is based on the views and wishes expressed by our doctoral students and researchers in both interviews and surveys. The crucial part of the University's application process to receive the HR Excellence in Research award has been to listen to what our researchers and doctoral students think about the working conditions at the University.
In the autumn 2020 and the spring 2021, interviews were conducted with researchers and doctoral students to better understand how they view their working conditions and what they think needs to be improved. To complement the interviews, all researchers and doctoral students at the University were sent a digital survey on working conditions. The response rate was high, indicating a high level of engagement.
In order to avoid parallel processes, the project team has aligned views and requests with already ongoing processes and projects, including the comprehensive research evaluation ERA19.
