THE HRS4R APPROACH AT AMU

Context and challenges of the approach

The HRS4R label is awarded by the European Commission to institutions committed to the implementation of the forty principles of the "European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers". This Charter, published in 2005 by the European Commission, aims to attract the world's best researchers, encourage young people to pursue scientific careers and make the European Research Area more attractive by improving working conditions for researchers worldwide.

In the HRS4R approach, the term researcher is to be understood in a broad sense: researchers, teacher-researchers, post-doctoral fellows, PhD students. It includes statutory and contractual staff. The European Commission classifies them according to their level of experience from R1 to R4 (see below).

Why get involved in the labelling process?

At the level of the Institution :

• Meet the requirements of European programmes: To respect the contractual obligations of the projects supported under Horizon 2020 and meet the criteria of the calls for proposals. With the launch of Horizon Europe (2021-2028), the importance of this label is further reinforced, particularly in the framework of Marie Sklodovska Curie mobility actions and facilitates the respect of the contractual obligations of granteed institutions (for example, in terms of obligations related to the promotion of gender equality - new criterion on gender mainstreaming).
• Reinforce AMU's international attractiveness
• Join the European insitutions already labelled: More than 560 establishments in Europe (most of our CIVIS partner universities and all of our A*MIDEX partners), including more than thirty in France, have obtained this distinction (including about twenty universities).
• Reaffirm a strong and coherent internal Human Resources policy aligned with projects already launched, in particular the Human Resources Master Plan, the Disability Master Plan, the Digital Master Plan, the Quality of Life at Work Plan, the objectives of the establishment frameoark contract, etc., and with the objectives of the new presidential team focused on improving the quality of life and work within AMU for its students and staff.

At the level of the researcher :
Improving individually the conditions in which research is carried out:

• Strengthen respect for ethical principles and professional responsibilities
• Ensure greater transparency in recruitment, career development and mobility
• Commit to develop better and safer environmen working condition
• Reaffirm a strong training policy

Deployment of the approach

The HRS4R label is a structuring and long-term commitment process. Organised in three phases, this project mobilises and has a major impact on the entire scientific community of the site and AMU's support departments:

• Phase 1: Initial (12 months from the university's re-engagement following the election of the new governance team: 1 June 2019 - 12 February 2021)- preparation of the application for the label - launch of the working groups.
  On April, the 29th 2021, AMU was awarded with the HRS4RR label by the European Commission.
• Phase 2: Implementation phase (5 years from June 2021) - deployment of the HRS4R strategy and action plan
• Phase 3: Renewal phase (6 years).

Public targeted by the approach at AMU

The scope chosen by AMU is broad, since it includes both tenured and contract "research" staff employed by the university and its spin-off Protisvalor Méditerranée.

In addition, the action plan will be implemented in all research units of Aix Marseille University and will thus have an impact on the entire scientific community of Aix Marseille.