The award, granted by the European EURAXESS portal, is an accreditation that assesses compliance with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers — two key European Commission documents aimed at promoting more attractive and equitable scientific careers across Europe. The award certifies that the HRS4R (the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers) is well implemented at the centre.

The ICP first received this award in 2018, demonstrating its adherence to these European principles, and has now successfully passed the scheduled renewal process, which takes place every three years.

The European Commission’s evaluation report highlights several strengths of the institution. The evaluation committee particularly praised the implementation of inclusive governance and a culture of feedback between the research staff and the organisation. According to the report, the ICP has shown a strong commitment to talent retention, especially in the early stages of scientific careers, thanks to the new Miquel Crusafont predoctoral contracts. The evaluation also recognised the positive impact of the ICP’s Non-Discrimination Committee, which actively works to improve equality policies and prevent discrimination within the institution.

Despite these achievements, the European evaluation report also identified areas where the ICP should continue to improve in the coming years. First, the committee recommends optimising the monitoring process for the implementation of the HRS4R at the centre, with particular attention to the clear definition of milestones and measurable indicators. Similarly, the report suggests improving communication with staff regarding the distribution of institutional documents. It also highlights the persistence of a gender gap, despite changes made to recruitment processes in an attempt to reduce it.

Information on the ICP’s HRS4R is available on the website: https://hrs4r.icp.cat/