Meeting with EC Assessors: UCCRSA's Contribution to the HR Award in Excellence Assessment

23 Jun 2025

During the re-assessment for University College Cork's (UCC) HR Excellence in Research Award, committee members of the University College Cork Research Staff Association (UCCRSA) met with European Commission (EC) assessors on their recent visit.

This award is presented to institutions that are actively implementing the principles of ‘the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct’ into their HR policies, developing fair, inclusive, and innovative research career environments. UCCRSA was invited to present and share insights into lived experience, success, and challenges of UCC's research community.

During this presentation members from the UCCRSA voluntary committee members, led by Chairperson Dr Rosarii Griffin's, provided an overview of UCCRSA's mission, goals, and main concerns.

One of the main points emphasised by the UCCRSA is the need for an institutional Researcher Career Framework that will offer clear career development pathways, secure employment, and improved career prospects for Researchers. Precarity and a lack of job security are some of most pressing concern for researchers across UCC, with many researchers employed on short-term contracts that limit career development, financial security, and long-term planning. Gender equity, particularly at senior research level, was also highlighted as a key concern. UCCRSA advocates for equal opportunities in promotions, funding, and leadership roles for women. In addition, the need for increased representation of researchers in all university decision-making committees and policy-making bodies was also emphasised.Photo: UCCRSA Meeting with EC assessors

The UCCRSA also works closely with IFUT in relation to Researcher concerns around precarity. The UCCRSA is also a member of national and global networks, and this was discussed as well. For example, UCCRSA is a member of the Irish Research Staff Association (IrishRSA) and the International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA). The UCCRSA provides inputs into policy consultations that aim to improve the status of researchers within Ireland, as well as at an EU and International level. For example, project managing the EU-Horizon ‘SECURE’ Project, which investigates the challenges and barriers facing researchers in the EU as well as worldwide.

The EC reviewers valued the input of UCCRSA. The session closed on a discussion about how the UCCRSA could further contribute to Researcher/HR structures, to ensure the inclusion of researchers’ opinions and ideas into HR Research and Researcher strategy. UCCRSA highlighted that it remains committed to upholding the principles of the HRS4R in order to progress sustainable researcher careers at UCC. The EU Expert Visitors thanked the UCCRSA committee members for their dedication to Researchers at UCC, and in turn, the UCCRSA committee thanked the EU experts team for their time, and Mary-Kate’s HR team for facilitating this important meeting and discussion.