Information Notice
The new HR Excellence in Research website has been launched and is currently being expanded with full documentation and detailed pillar-level content. Additional materials will be added on an ongoing basis to provide comprehensive access to all relevant procedures, reports, and institutional policies.
The European Charter for Researchers is a framework of principles and requirements that defines the roles, responsibilities, and rights of researchers and of their employers and funders. It was developed by the European Commission to promote an open, transparent, and sustainable European Research Area (ERA) and to make research careers more attractive across Europe.
The Charter ensures that researchers work under fair and supportive conditions that foster professional growth, ethical conduct, and scientific excellence. It sets out 20 key principles, grouped into four thematic pillars:
- Ethics, Integrity, Gender, and Open Science – promoting research integrity, academic freedom, gender equality, diversity, and sustainability.
- Researchers’ Assessment, Recruitment, and Progression – ensuring fair, transparent, and merit-based recruitment, evaluation, and career advancement.
- Working Conditions and Practices – guaranteeing stable employment, adequate funding, fair remuneration, and a healthy research environment.
- Research Careers and Talent Development – supporting continuous professional development, mentoring, and diverse career pathways.
The Charter applies to all researchers, whether in academia, public institutions, or industry, as well as to universities, research centres, funding organisations, and policymakers. It highlights the importance of mobility, open science, gender equality, and lifelong learning as essential elements of a strong and innovative research system.
Together with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, the Charter forms the cornerstone of the HR Excellence in Research Award process (formerly the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, HRS4R). Institutions that successfully implement its principles may receive the HR Excellence in Research logo, recognising their commitment to building an open, inclusive, and supportive research environment.
Useful links & key resources
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- EURAXESS – researchers in motion (Homepage)
- HR Excellence in Research award
- The European Charter for Researchers
- Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202301640 (HTML)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202301640 (PDF) - PDF of the European Charter for Researchers in English
- ANNEXES to the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe
- HR Excellence in Research Guidelines (2025 update)
- The European Charter for Researchers & The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (PDF brochure)
Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment (OTM-R) Toolkit