Benchmarking
HEI’s strategies for implementing the Concordat
The Concordat Coordinator, on behalf of the Concordat Strategy Group, launched a survey on 6 January of HEI’s approaches to staff development and their implementation of the Concordat. As well as providing valuable benchmarking, completion of the survey will help institutions demonstrate alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (European Charter and Code).
On 6 September the results of this survey were published as Higher education institutions’ strategic responses to the Concordat. The report makes six recommendations:
- Further sharing of practice between institutions needed
- Explore further ways of using CROS to monitor impact of Concordat
- Adopt all examples of awareness-raising highlighted in report
- Implement policies to ensure that research staff enjoy co-authorship and intellectual property rights
- Seek early acknowledgement of alignment with the European Charter and Code Charter and Code
- Explore ways of sustaining funding for staff and review use of fixed term contracts
The survey reviews the policies and procedures of institutions and the strategic approach from the top levels of management. The report begins the process by which the UK higher education sector demonstrates that it is meeting the principles of the Concordat and is aligned with the European Charter and Code.
In addition, the survey enables institutions to demonstrate to the European Commission that their practice is aligned with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (the Charter and Code). Once their alignment is recognised, institutions may use the HR excellence in research logo and be listed on the Euraxess website. The mechanism for doing so is set out in the UK mechanism for demonstrating sector-wide and institutional alignment with the European Charter and Code.
A UK-wide process enables UK HEIs to gain the European Commission’s ‘HR excellence in research’ badge, 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’ badge. The UK approach includes ongoing national evaluation and benchmarking.
Funders responses to the Concordat
It is critical to review the way in which funders implement the Concordat. There is a perception in higher education that – irrespective of funders’ terms and conditions – grant applications that include provision for the career development of researchers are seen as not competitive by review panels. This project reviews the policies, terms and conditions of grant, career development schemes and other practice within funding bodies.
Summary of Funders’ implementation plans – November 2009
Some funders have requested that their responses be published in full:
Benchmarking Report
On 22 October 2009 the Strategy Group received a report on the development
of the benchmarking programme that was authorised at their meeting on 22
January 2009. This includes an update on the six projects that were agreed
that the January meeting and proposals for other projects in the future.
View
benchmarking report
Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS)
In September 2009, Vitae published the aggregated results of the Careers
in Research Online Survey. CROS is an in depth survey of research staff
run by higher education institutions (HEIs) using the Bristol Online Survey
(BoS) platform. It has been available to HEIs for several years, but in
2009 the 51 institutions that ran CROS made their results available to Vitae
to carry out a UK wide assessment of the experiences of research staff across
the sector. The survey is based on the responses of 5,908 members of research
staff.
View Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) website
View Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS): Analysis of aggregated UK
results (PDF)