The HR Excellence in Research Award is an award given by the European Commission to research and academic institutions that meet the principles of the
European Charter for Researchers. It is not just a formality; the condition for receiving the award, in addition to adopting the Charter, is also the implementation of the Human Resources Strategy (HRS4R). Awarded institutions fulfill the strategy through actions in the Action Plan, and this process is regularly evaluated by the European Commission.
The European Charter for Researchers is divided into 20 principles grouped into 4 pillars:
- Ethics, integrity, gender, and open science
- Evaluation, recruitment, and career progression of researchers
- Working conditions and procedures
- Research career and talent development
Receiving an award is a prestigious matter for the awarded institutions because it indicates quality working conditions for researchers and transparent selection. By implementing all measures, the working conditions at the institution become comparable to those in similar institutions abroad, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the institution.
The Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences joined the European Charter for Researchers on January 6, 2020, and after meeting all requirements, received the HR Excellence in Research Award on September 2, 2021. The initiation of the entire process and the first years of implementation (until June 30, 2023) were financially supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, OP VVV program (project registration number CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/18_054/0014500) with co-financing by the European Union.
