Information for selection committees' members
From the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers….to our practises….
In 2019, the University of Insubria received the European Commission’s Human Resources Excellence in Research Award for its on-going commitment to participating in the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) process for the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in its policies and practices.
As part of the strategy to guarantee the academic community the best conditions to accomplish their duties in the fields of training new generations of students and producing outstanding research results, the University of Insubria is committed to anchor the recruitment of researchers at all levels of experience on open, transparent and merit-based procedures.
The committees should operate independently, must declare any conflict of interest, and their decisions should be impartial and based on evidence rather than on personal preference. The committee members will be supplied with a committee-kit containing all pro-forma reports, relevant national legislation and University regulations, and the Code of Ethics, Professional Conduct and Research Integrity.
Some evaluation principles tailored from the Code and reported in our Gap Analysis:
- Judging merit: The selection committees give a full description of the criteria in compliance with National law. Candidates are evaluated by their curricula and the whole range of experience, also in term of teaching, supervision, teamwork, management of research and innovation and public awareness activities including bibliometric indices and possible patents or inventions. On a national basis a scientific qualification must be achieved in order to apply for R3 and R4 positions and be further evaluated with regard to criteria established in the specific call
- Variations in the chronological order of CVs:The evaluation about the overall consistency of the candidate’s scientific production, the intensity and temporal continuity takes into account any periods, properly documented, of non-voluntary career breaks with particular reference to parental leave. Researchers working abroad, carrying out didactic and research activities, may apply to Italian academic positions if reflecting a representative array of achievements and qualifications appropriate to the position for which application is being made. Scientific international recognitions are appreciated.
- Recognition of mobility experience:The selection committees take into account, where applicable, experiences performed both in Italy and abroad, the cooperation with foreign and international organizations and research centres, lecturer in international conferences, didactic teaching in international University or high qualification international research centres, achievement of international award.
- Recognition of qualifications: At local level, national and international regulation standards are fully implemented and all selection committees’ members have the duty to know and implement them, when performing their evaluation. Dedicated administrative staff is devoted to the support of each procedure: they provide the selection committees with all relevant information on existing legislation.
- Seniority: All announcements of available positions must contain clear indications of entry requirements for participation and, eventually, additional skills requested to the candidates: i.e. a specific master degree or PhD, national scientific qualification, expertise in a certain field or mobility experiences. The announcement for admission to the PhD program includes requirements, mandatory qualifications (curriculum vitae et studiorum, PhD proposal research, abstracts of the thesis allowing access to the Doctorate) and optional (reference letters). Evaluation committees’ members are disregard to judge the candidates on the basis of the prestige of the institution they come from – both as university issuing the requested degree or as employer-, since the same weight in terms of evaluation should always be attributed to the same type of qualification.
Commissions for R1 - PhD students' recruitment
- Committee composition: the Rector, on the proposal of the college of teachers of the PhD course, appoints by decree the Commission in charge of the comparative evaluation of the candidates, composed of at least three members chosen from tenured university professors and researchers (of which at least two first or second level professors), to which no more than two experts may be added, on the proposal of the Teaching Committee foreigners, external to the University, chosen from public and private research institutions and structures of high qualification, also following agreements and / or consortia. In the case of doctorates established following international inter-university cooperation agreements, the Commission and admission procedures are defined in accordance with the agreements themselves. The presidency of the Commission is assumed by the teacher indicated by the College. The composition of the Committee must abide by the principles of equal opportunity and gender balance, by allocating to women at least one third of all available positions
- Minutes: the Commission declares that there are no causes of incompatibility between the members and the candidates admitted to the competition, it ascertains within the terms of the law, the inexistence of degrees of kinship or affinity up to the fourth degree inclusive with a professor belonging to the Department requesting the activation of the grant, with the Rector, with the General Director or with a member University Board of Directors, as required by the competition announcement.
- Scoring criteria: the calls report that the Committee attributes to each candidate up to a maximum of 60 points for each of the two evaluations (qualifications assessment and oral/written test). Oral/written tests are public and are considered passed if the candidate gets a score of no less than 40/60 points. The test results will be notified by means of an official publication of the ranking on the website of the University.
Commissions for R2 - Research fellows "assegnisti" ' s recruitment
- Committee composition: the Selection Committee is made up of three members, one of whom is the Responsible of the research who assumes the functions of President of the Commission. The other two members are designated by Council of the Structure where the research activity will be carried out, among professors and researchers, also external to the University, industry experts. The Committe of selection is appointed by a provision of the Director of the structure in which research activity will be carried out. The composition of the Committee must abide by the principles of equal opportunity and gender balance, by allocating to women at least one third of all available positions. It must conclude its work by formulating a specific ranking within 30 days from the closing date of the call. The acts of the selection and the relative ranking are approved by decree of the Director of the structure who announced the grant.
- Minutes: the Commission declares that there are no causes of incompatibility between the members and the candidates admitted to the competition, it ascertains within the terms of the law, the inexistence of degrees of kinship or affinity up to the fourth degree inclusive with a professor belonging to the Department requesting the activation of the grant, with the Rector, with the General Director or with a member University Board of Directors, as required by the competition announcement.
- Scoring criteria: every call report scoring grid to be given to candidates based on qualifications, publications and any interview. The evaluation results will be notified by means of an official publication of the ranking on the website of the University.
Commissions for R3 - Established Researchers' recruitment
- Committee composition: In order to appoint the Evaluating Committee, the Department’s Board must decide on the members proposal after the deadline for the submission of applications. The Recruitment and Careers Office, having received the applications, provides to the draw, in a way which guarantees the transparency and public nature of the procedure. The Committee will, then, be appointed following the numerical sequence until the number of members to appoint is reached; should gender balance and the presence of at least one full time professor not be ensured, with regard to the member appointed by the Department, these will be selected following the ranking list. The draw will take place in a public session and streamed. A random number generator web app will be used.
- Minutes: the Commission declares that there are no causes of incompatibility between the members and the candidates admitted to the competition, it ascertains within the terms of the law, the inexistence of degrees of kinship or affinity up to the fourth degree inclusive with a professor belonging to the Department requesting the activation of the grant, with the Rector, with the General Director or with a member University Board of Directors, as required by the competition announcement.
- Scoring criteria: The criteria and parameters which will be used in the preliminary and subsequent qualifications and scientific production evaluation will be identified by the Committee during the first meeting, also using web collaborative work tools previously authorized by the Rector. The criteria established by the Committee will be made public at least seven days before the continuation of the works, by publishing them on the University’s Official Board and website. The office will communicate the candidates’ names only after the selection criteria have been made public. The criteria and parameters, which are also recognized at the international level, were established by Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) Decree no. 243 of 25/05/2011.
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Commissions for R4 - Leading Researchers' recruitment
- Committee composition: In order to appoint the Evaluating Committee, the Department’s Board, in the session reserved for full professors, with the favorable vote of the majority of those who are entitled, must decide on the members proposal after the deadline for the submission of applications. The composition of the Committee must abide by the principles of equal opportunity and gender balance.
- Minutes: the Commission declares that there are no causes of incompatibility between the members and the candidates admitted to the competition, it ascertains within the terms of the law, the inexistence of degrees of kinship or affinity up to the fourth degree inclusive with a professor belonging to the Department requesting the activation of the grant, with the Rector, with the General Director or with a member University Board of Directors, as required by the competition announcement.
- Scoring criteria: The Committees, with the members’ absolute majority deliberation, will identify the most highly qualified candidate to hold the position at the end of the comparative evaluation made on the basis of the candidates’ publications, CVs and teaching activities and of the discussion, if provided for in the call. The evaluation will take place on the basis of the criteria that were predetermined by the Committee, following the qualitative standards recognized at the international level. At the end, the Committee will compile a ranking list of the worthier candidates which is valid only in case of withdrawal of the most qualified candidate or for failure to take service. In such cases the Department may make a new call proposal on the basis of the ranking list.
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