Astrid Söderbergh Widding: A research-driven project that will benefit us all

For so long, I resisted. HRS4R – I mostly associated the acronym with a name of a virus. With an intuitive sense of what Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg and Johan Boberg have shown so convincingly in their research reports, I thought that HRS4R must lead to increased control and increased bureaucracy. Even the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers did not assuage my fears, especially after I attended a discouraging presentation that made it seem like a bureaucratic monstrosity. Then came the threat: The European Union was considering making HRS4R certification a requirement to apply for research funding from the EU. All at once, I realised it was time for a turnaround.

So, as university president, what does one do? I chose to appoint two highly experienced academic managers, one from each of our academic areas — Mats Börjesson and Gunnar Svensson. With the support of Ulf Nyman at the Office of the President, they were tasked with preparing the SU’s certification application. The starting point of their mission was clear: this task had to be done, but in a way that benefits the university’s core activities and actually supports our researchers and the quality of our research. No sooner said than done. Together with Ulf, Mats and Gunnar attacked their work with infectious energy and enthusiasm. Every time I have heard them talk about the project, they have given me the feeling that this is a research-driven project that will benefit us all. A gap analysis has been carried out, resulting in a six-item action plan based on identified improvement needs. Along with a number of additional milestones, it aims to 1) ensure the research ethical competence of Stockholm University researchers; 2) make it easier for researchers to manage and store research data in accordance with the FAIR Principles and the Archives Act; 3) achieve more systematic follow-up of research results and better career planning for researchers from the postdoctoral stage upwards; 4) increase transparency surrounding recruitments, especially of doctoral students and postdoctoral staff; 5) improve the introduction provided to newly hired researchers; 6) enhance career guidance and make it more accessible, especially to young researchers.

If this action plan is accepted, the university has five years to implement it. After a very thorough process, I am convinced that the plan’s proposed actions are adequate and that its implementation will better position Stockholm University to uphold and maintain the quality of our research. The process itself also provides an indication of how we can handle increasing bureaucratic demands: by identifying the actual needs of our organisation and using this process to address them.

This text is written by President Astrid Söderbergh Widding. It appears in the section “Words from the Management”, in which members of the university’s management team take turns to write about topical issues. The section appears in News for staff which is distributed to the entirety of the University staff.