The seal is awarded to organizations that, after an internal analysis of their compliance with the 40 principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, define and implement a set of actions to improve their practices.

More than 50 Portuguese organizations have already subscribed to the principles of the Charter & Code, including several higher education institutions, research institutes and laboratories. Of these, only eleven are certified, with Iscte being the only university.

The application for the HR Excellence in Research label was the result of a commitment made by Iscte as part of the InCITIES project and is in line with the founding principles of the PIONEER Alliance, a consortium of ten European universities.

The Human Resources Excellence in Research Award honors institutions that promote good practices in the management of human resources in research, bringing numerous benefits. As well as driving innovation and fostering institutional change, it puts researchers at the heart of the process, facilitates integration into international networks and reinforces the institution's visibility at national and international level, strengthening its competitiveness and recognition on the research scene.

Iscte is thus committed to continuing to promote excellence in its human resources practices, aligning itself with the highest international standards and guaranteeing a working environment that values innovation and the continuous development of its researchers.

Iscte's action plan and other documents can be found here.