Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment of Researchers – OTM-R

OTM-R stands for Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment and is one of the pillars of the European Charter for Researchers and in particular of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, launched in 2005.

The Charter and the Code (C&C) contain, among other crucial issues related to professional aspects of a researcher’s life, a set of principles and requirements that should be followed by employers and/or funders when appointing or recruiting researchers, first of all “employers and/or funders should establish recruitment procedures which are open, efficient, transparent, supportive and internationally comparable, as well as tailored to the type of positions advertised”. Furthermore, OTM-R is an important component of the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) which supports research institutions and funding organisations to put the policies and principles of the Charter & Code into practice.

Open, transparent and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R) brings benefits to researchers, institutions and a country’s research system. More specifically, OTM-R makes research careers more attractive, ensures equal opportunities for all candidates and facilitates mobility. Overall, it may contribute to an increase in the cost-effectiveness of investments in research.

OTM-R at Polytechnic University of Valencia

Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) has a specific unit that deals with HR: Management Subdivision of Human Resources and Organizational Structure that is responsible for:

• Planning and executing the processes of selection, provision, appointment and hiring of staff and research fellows.
• Managing the processes that affect the administrative life of the staff, social security and remuneration.
• Planning and managing the training of administrative, service and research staff.

And all this in order to provide the organization with the necessary human resources to achieve its goals and objectives, both in academic, research and management activities, facilitating their professional and personal development.

The HR Service provides introductory information and specific normative related to selection processes of researchers that serves as a guide for both researchers with teaching profile and researchers without teaching profile.

UPV is firmly committed to the standards of the C&C, to which it adhered in July 2014. This commitment was demonstrated when it officially entered the process to obtain the “HR Excellence in Research Award” (HRS4R) seal in 2019, which UPV successfully achieved in 2020.

UPV OTM-R policy

UPV OTM-R Checklist: