The ERA Steering Group on Human Resources and Mobility (ERA SGHRM) supports the implementation and the monitoring of progress of the EU2020 Flagship Initiative Innovation Union (IU), as well as the implementation of the ERA Communication “A Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth” (July 2012) with regard to researchers’ careers and mobility at EU and at national level (e.g. European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, Scientific Visa, Innovative Doctoral Training, EURAXESS activities), as well as to the attractiveness of Europe to researchers in general.
Currently the SG HRM is focusing on the following issues as the main barriers to developing the ERA: i) doctoral training; ii) recruitment in public research institutions; iii) research career structure; iv) social security (including supplementary pension funds); and v) transportability of grants (the “money follows researcher” principle). Two Working Groups (WGs) are currently operating under the SGHRM umbrella: the WG on Innovative Doctoral Training is identifying the measures and a roadmap for widening the uptake of the principles of doctoral training across Europe; the WG on Professional Development of Researchers will map (online) tools dedicated to the development of researchers’ careers. The WGs will gather their main conclusions in two final reports and submit them to the SGHRM in early 2014. A standing WG targets data collection and processing of data to strengthen the evidence base and underpin monitoring.
The members of the Steering Group on Human Resources and Mobility (SGHRM) will provide information on the overall plans devised at national level for the implementation of the Researchers' Partnership. They will also report regularly on the actions undertaken or envisaged to execute these plans, as well as on developments regarding other on-going researcher-related activities.