Frequently Asked Questions
This page offers quick answers to common questions from users.
Detailed information about the HR award process and the e-Tool can be found in the guidelines published on the HR Excellence in Research portal.
Please remember to consult the guidelines before reaching out for further clarification.
The helpdesk for technical issues can be contacted at support@euraxess.org
As of 15 May 2018, it is not possible anymore to formally endorse the European Charter for Researchers (formerly Charter & Code) with the European Commissionwithout at the same time formally committing to its implementation.
Organizations wishing to formally declare their endorsement of the European Charter for Researchers to the European Commission must also begin the application process for the "HR Excellence in Research award," which reflects a sustained commitment to the implementation of the principles of the Charter.
Since the introduction of the e-Tool in 2018, offline templates are no longer available or supported.
Please note that any manual templates previously provided should no longer be used, as they are no longer valid.
The official forms for the HR award process are now exclusively available through the online forms in the e-Tool. To ensure accuracy and compliance, please use only the online forms provided in the e-Tool for all submissions
The guidelines, published on the HR award portal, contain detailed information on every form used in the e-tool, and should be consulted for further instructions
For new cases opened after January 2025, Letters of Endorsement and Commitment should clearly state endorsement of the 20 principles of the European Charter for Researchers along with a commitment to their implementation through the various phases of the HR Excellence in Research award process.
As of January 2025, letters that endorse the 40 principles of the Charter & Code and commit to their implementation via the HRS4R will no longer be validated
A sample Letter of Endorsement and Commitment can be found in the annex of the Guidelines for your reference.
Letters of Endorsement and Commitment submitted before January 2025 referring to the 40 Principles of the Charter & Code and commitment to its implementation via the HRS4R are valid and do not need to be resubmitted
Make sure that you are the formally appointed HR Award admin for your institution and that this role has been correctly registered in the e-Tool.
The HR Award admin is the only person who can operate in the e-Tool, will receive the automatic notifications from the e-tool, and will be the contact point with both the EC and the assessors.
For any other login issue, please contact the helpdesk at support@euraxess.org
Every new case opened after 26 November 2024 will operate under the 20 principles of the European Charter for Researchers.
The transition from the 40 principles of the Charter & Code to the 20 principles of the European Charter for Researchers is automatic.
Users cannot choose which eTool to use. Once the designated time for transition is reached, the switch from the eTool based on the 40 principles to the eTool operating with 20 principles will occur automatically and without the need for user intervention.
See the guidelines and the note on the transition to the 20 principles
Since no automatic mapping is possible between the 40 principles of the 2005 Charter & Code and the 20 principles of the 2023 European Charter for Researchers, the old action plan will not be automatically imported into the new forms.
Instead, when transitioning to the 20 principles, you will need to manually complete the new forms, adapting the actions from the previous action plan (under the 40 principles) to the new 20 principles configuration.
Please note that this adaptation exercise is a one-time requirement: after completion, the forms will be automatically imported in every future phase, streamlining the process.
Once all the mandatory forms are marked “valid”, the option to upload additional documents becomes available.
It is recommended to use this option only to upload sensitive documents or information that cannot be otherwise published on your organization's website.
The upload function of the eTool allows the upload of only one document: multiple files can be uploaded compressing them into a single zipped folder.
Proposing a time window for the site visit falls under the responsibility of the organization.
Upon reception of the administrative eligibility for the internal review in request for the renewal of the HR award, the organisation shall proactively schedule an indicative time window for the site visit. This date shall be swiftly communicated to the EC at RTD-CHARTER@ec.europa.eu
The bigger the time window proposed, the easier will be to individuate available assessors
At any phase of the HR award process, in case the organisation needs more time for submitting its Internal Review, it can request an extension of the deadline.
The request can be submitted via the e-tool only using the “request extension” button, which is activated one month before the deadline.
The standard extension of the deadline for submission is one additional month from the previously set deadline. In case the organisation wishes to ask for a longer extension (of two to five months) this request must be detailed and duly justified in the “justification field”.
Longer extensions (up to 8 months) are considered exceptional, and 8-10 months are granted on extremely particular cases.
As a rule, requests for extension beyond 10 months, are not accepted, and an administrative suspension of the case should be envisaged
The extension of the deadline via the e-tool can be requested only once (i.e. the “request extension link can be used only once).
You can change the contact person appointed as HR award Admin at any time. Send an email to the Help Desk (support@euraxess.org) indicating the name, email address (as registered in the portal), function and contact details of the person that should be granted the HR award Admin role.
Please, note that this role is granted only to one person per organisation, and it is responsibility of the organisation to always ensure a HR award Admin with a valid email. Remember that only the HR award Admin will be the contact point of the organisation on HR award matters and will receive the e-Tool automatic communications
When an institution moves to a new HR award phase in the e-Tool, the "actions" from the previous "Action plan" are automatically imported into the new internal review.
These imported actions can be modified ONLY in their status of achievementand in the “Remarks".
Imported Action cannot be modified n the description, in the indicators etc. as this would create a new, different action.