R&D

Excellence in Research – HRS4R

What is the HRS4R

Instituto Superior Técnico is applying for the “Human Resources Strategy for Researchers – HRS4R” award, granted by EURAXESS – European Commission to institutions that establish a set of measures to improve human resources practices in research, in alignment with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers (2005, updated in 2025).

The HRS4R process at Técnico

The application process for certification began on 17 November 2023 with the submission of the Letter of Commitment.

In November 2024, Técnico submitted the documentation corresponding to the first phase of the application, consisting of three main parts:

Gap Analysis

To identify the main gaps and opportunities for improvement, two focus groups were held with researchers and academic staff in July 2024:

R1–R2 Group: 34 invited, 25 responses, 15 agreed to participate, 14 participated.
R3–R4 Group: 55 invited, 35 responses, 14 agreed to participate, 12 participated.

The high response rate (67%) demonstrated the engagement of the scientific community. This process was complemented by an institutional survey to further deepen the assessment of how the principles of the Charter for Researchers are applied.

Action Plan

Based on the needs analysis, an Action Plan was drawn up identifying the principles to be strengthened and the actions to be implemented over a five-year period, up to the first interim assessment.

OTM-R Checklist

The Human Resources Directorate completed the OTM-R Checklist (Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment), a self-assessment of the recruitment and selection practices for academic staff and researchers.

Support Structure

In 2025, the teams responsible for monitoring the development and implementation of the actions set out in the Action Plan were appointed.

Steering Committee

  • Marta Almeida (Chair) – R3/R4 Researcher, IST Vice-President for the Management of the Loures Campus
  • Miguel Prazeres – R3/R4 Researcher, Vice-President of the Scientific Council
  • Luís Lemos Alves – R3/R4, Coordinator for the Monitoring and Development of Faculty and Researchers (CADDI)
  • Nuno Pedroso – IST Administrator
  • Cláudia Jacinto – Human Resources Director
  • Rui Mendes – Director of International Affairs

Working Group

  • Ana Lucas (Chair) – Head of the Well-being and People Development Unit, Gender Balance and Diversity Group
  • Miguel Prazeres – R3/R4 Researcher, IST Vice-President for the Management of the Loures Campus
  • Marta Almeida – R3/R4 Researcher, IST Vice-President for the Management of the Loures Campus
  • João Patrício – Director of Quality and Planning
  • Marta Pile – Gender Balance and Diversity Group, Observatory for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OMNES)
  • Rui Mendes – Director of International Affairs
  • Fátima Montemor – R3/R4 Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Pedro Paulo – R1/R2 Researcher, Chair of NInTec
  • Dulce Belo – R3/R4 Researcher, Chair of the NInTec General Assembly
  • Ricardo Santos – R1/R2 Researcher, Department of Nuclear Engineering and Sciences

Policy and Next Steps

In 2025, the Instituto Superior Técnico also approved the OTM-R Policy, reinforcing its commitment to open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment practices.

Before the HRS4R award is granted, the process will be independently evaluated by EURAXESS, which will assess the action plan and the involvement of researchers and technical staff in its implementation.

Documentation submitted

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