HR Excellence in Research Award
The UK HE sector 2008 collaboration on the 'Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the resulting changes in the external landscape relating to researcher development, has been welcomed and embraced by The University.
History
In the 'post-Roberts' funding era, the university has been motivated to establish the Think Ahead framework to support researcher professional development and has undertaken wider change to the research environment across the University.
This commitment to supporting and developing our researchers is most strongly endorsed through our success in achieving and retaining the HR Excellence in Research Award.
We have ongoing recognition and are in a state of review to ensure we further enhance the environment for researchers.
HR Excellence in Research Award 2019-2022
From June 2018 to May 2019, the University undertook a gap analysis and action-planning exercise aligned to The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (pdf.270kb).
This represented an exciting opportunity to look in more detail at recruitment practices and to assess the institution aginast the EU Commission's 'Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment (OTM-R)' policy.
The Charter and Code underpin the UK Concordat, so this exercise has allowed us to draw up a meaningful plan to further enhance the environment for researchers.
We will ensure that we can be recognised for HR Excellence in Research direct by the European Commission.
We successfully retained the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award in July 2019. A copy of the detailed action plan (pdf.301kb) submitted to the EU Commission in May 2019 is available.
Information about the EU Commission's awarding process is also available.
HR Excellence in Research Award 2012-2018
In September 2012, The University of Sheffield was awarded the European Commission's HR Excellence in Research Award via the UK process, by measuring our performance against the principles stated in the UK Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers.
The award recognises an institution's progress towards a high-quality research environment for research staff and postgraduate researchers.
HR Excellence in Research Award 2016
The Research Staff Development Committee undertook a formal two-year review (pdf.343kb) in August 2016, in line with the award's guidelines for continuing recognition.
We currently have continuing recognition (pdf.122kb) as holders of the HR Excellence in Research Award until our next review in 2018 (pdf.173kb).
HR Excellence in Research Award 2014
The Research Staff Development Committee (previously the DRDC Standing Group for Research Staff) undertook a formal two-year review (pdf.159kb) in September 2014, in line with the award's guidelines for continuing recognition.
On the basis of review and new action plan (pdf.125kb), the University was successful in retaining recognition (pdf.108kb).
HR Excellence in Research Award 2012-14
In order to ensure progress against the plan and awareness raising of the University's commitment to the Concordat, annual reviews were taken during 2013 (pdf.152kb) in 2014 (pdf.125kb).
Gap analysis and original plan
In order to gain the HR Excellence in Research Award, the University had to undertake a comprehensive gap analysis (pdf.318kb) in order to generate a two-year plan of action to enable the continuation of good practice and development in weaker areas.
You may also be interested in reading the RPD team 2015-2016 Impact Review (1719kb) in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the development provision available to researchers.