HR Excellence in Research

IRBLleida conducted an internal Gap Analysis , grouping the 40 principles of the Charter and Code into four areas ("Ethical and professional aspects", "Recruitment", "Working conditions and social security" and "Training and professional development") and summarized the main results of the internal analysis and presented the proposed actions in the Action Plan 2014-2016.

In 2018, IRBLleida underwent a self-assesment consisting of a new internal analysis to assess compliance with the 2014-2016 Action Plan.

After receiving the feedback  from the European Commission on the self-assessment process carried out, during the years 2019-2020, several actions were carried out to integrate the recommendations received. During these two years, the initial action plan was extended.

Specifically:

• A Steering Committee was appointed to guarantee the continuous overseeing and monitoring of the Human Resources Strategy for Research (HRS4R) process.
• A new internal gap analysis and action plan were developed in an inclusive and open process involving an internal Working Group with representatives from all research professional categories.

The new Action Plan  was shared and discussed with the representatives of the centre as well as key stakeholders, and was adopted by consensus by the Human Resources Department, the members of the Working Group, the Managing Director, the Director, and approved by the Executive Board.

The main strategic lines of action are the following:

• Increase awareness and communication about IRBLleida policies on ethics and good scientific practice, including the elaboration of the IRBLleida Code of Ethics and the dissemination of the CERCA Code of Conduct.
• Reinforce the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment Policy for Researchers by establishing a mechanism for suggestions and complaints and monitoring quality of the process.
• Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion by reviewing and implementing the IRBLleida Equality Plan and the Protocol of prevention and action against discriminatory, moral or sexual harassment.
• Further support the talent through career development actions and activities, including mentoring programmes and the design of a comprehensive Training Policy for the Institute.
• Implement a standard procedure to carry out periodic assessment of the research activities
• Develop a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy aimed at promoting the scientific culture and participation of civil society.

The European Commission requires that institutions that have been awarded the logo be audited every three years to assess progress against their action plan. Every internal audit is followed by a visit from three international experts appointed by the European Commission. The last visit of the international experts to IRBLleida took place on 23 January 2023.

During the Site-Visit IRBLleida presented the impact of the actions performed in the framework of the HRS4R.

IRBLleida successfully retained the HR Excellence in Research Award at the Award Renewal Phase. You can access the consensus report here.

Open, transparent and merit-based recruitment processes (OTM-R)  guarantee that people with the most appropriate profile for a given job are hired, thus obtaining more equality, improving the competitiveness of national research systems and strengthening collaboration and international cooperation. The OTM-R is one of the main priorities of the European Research Area (ERA) and one of the key pieces of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. IRBLleida has developed a recruitment policy  based on the principles of the OTM-R (infographics).

• Diego Arango: Scientific director
• Joan Sayós: Deputy director
• Reyes Grases / Joan Vives / Eva López: Management director
• Jose Valdivielso: Principal Investigator (R4)
• Águeda Martínez: Senior Postdoctoral researcher (R3)
• Elena Moscatel: Human Resources Manager

• Diego Arango: Scientific Director
• Joan Sayós: Deputy director
• Eva López: Management Director
• Joaquín Bonelli: International Projects Unit representative
• Milica Bozic: Senior Postdoctoral researcher (R3)
• Maite Caus: Junior Postdoctoral researcher (R2)
• David de Gonzalo: Senior Postdoctoral researcher (R3)
• Ivan Hidalgo:Predoctoral researcher (R1)
• Meritxell Martín: Works Committee member and Training Committee representative
• Águeda Martínez: Senior Postdoctoral researcher (R3) and chairwoman of the Equality Committee
• Elena Moscatel: Human Resources Manager and Training Committee representative
• Meritxell Soria: Communicaction Unit and Training Committee representative
• M. Alba Sorolla: Established Researcher (R3)
• Adriano Targa: Recognised Researcher (R3)
• Jose Valdivielso: Principal Investigator (R4) and chairman of the Training committee
• Naiara Vilaginés: Technical Management Office representative

• Action 1:

  • D.1.1 Code of Ethics and Conduct, Code of Conduct CERCA and ICS Guide to Good Practice in Health Sciences Research

• Action 2:

  • D.2.2 Welcome guide 2022

  • D.2.2 Ethics and regulatories aspects

• Action 3:

  • D.3.1 Strategic Plan 2021-2025 IRBLleida

  • D.3.2 IRBLleida Annual Symposium

• Action 4:

  • D.4.1 Unit of Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC+I)

  • D.4.2 Corporate Social Responsability Policy

• Action 5:
  • D.5.1 Redefinition of the Equality Committee

  • D.5.2 Revision of the IRBLleida's equal opportunities and diversity management Plan (equality plan, protocol and guide)

  • D.5.3 Protocol for the prevention and eradication of sexual harassment

• Action 6:

  • D.6.1 Evaluation program for IRBLleida Research Groups

• Action 7:

  • D.7.1 and 7.3 Recruitment policy

  • D.7.2 Guidelines for the management of the mobility of the foreign researcher in Spain 2017

• Action 8:

  • D. 8.1 Definition of the Professional Career Development Strategy

• Action 10:

  • D.10.1 Dissemination among researcher the available channels to compile complaints and appeals

  • D.10.2 Quality survey results

• Action 11:

  • D.11 Training annual report 2022

As part of the EURAXESS initiative, aiming at promoting the mobility of scientific talent in Europe, FECYT publishes the fifth edition of the "Guidelines for the management of the mobility of the foreign researcher in Spain 2017" and an executive summary.

The guide compiles the main issues that a foreign researcher needs to tackle when coming to work in Spain and it targets both researchers themselves and their hosting institutions. The main topics of the guidelines are the characteristics of the Spanish R&D&I system and the researcher career in the country, the recognition of foreign qualifications for academia and professional purposes, the labor market, the tax and the social security systems, the entry and residency requirements, the health and education systems and the EURAXESS Spain network that gives support to mobile researchers.