INL Hosts “Empowering Research Careers: HRS4R & CoARA in Focus”

Last Thursday, November 14th, 2024, INL brought together leading experts in research governance, HR strategy, and leadership for a day-long event entitled “Empowering Research Careers: HRS4R & CoARA in Focus”. The event provided an opportunity for participants to delve into the impact of the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) and the European Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) on research careers, while fostering meaningful discussions about leadership and professional growth.

The morning session opened with a warm welcome and a thought-provoking lineup of guest speakers: with Isabelle Halleux, Head of the Project Management Office at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), highlighted the transformative impact of HRS4R on researchers and their careers; Barbora Wahlová, an HR Strategy Consultant, presented insights into employee assessment as a pathway to career advancement, sharing strategies for supporting researchers’ professional development; Miklós Gyorffi provided an overview of CoARA and its potential influence at INL, setting the stage for future engagements with this European initiative; and Bruno Béu, representing the Portuguese National Chapter of CoARA, offered a closer look at the national-level implementation and its relevance to INL.

A roundtable discussion moderated by Lorena Diéguez followed, allowing speakers to answer specific questions about the effects and actions required for an effective implementation of the HRS4R certification and the CoARA initiative.The afternoon was equally dynamic, consisting of two separate focus group discussions. The first one, led by Isabelle Halleux, explored the role of a leader and identified ways to develop leadership skills at INL. The second workgroup, led by Barbora Wahlová, discussed practical uses of the European Competence Framework for Researchers, known as ResearchComp, a tool developed by the European Commission to assess and develop researchers’ transferable skills and foster career development.

A Platform for Growth and Collaboration

This event marked a significant step in INL’s journey to strengthen its human resources strategy and align with European standards for research assessment and career development. By fostering an open exchange of ideas and best practices, INL continues to empower its researchers and reaffirm its commitment to excellence. Stay tuned for updates on how INL will build on the momentum generated during this event to drive impactful changes in its HR and research policies.