THE University of Winchester has been awarded the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award in recognition of its outstanding commitment to research and supporting the professional development of its researchers.

The awards – established by the European Commission in 2005 and managed by Vitae – highlight institutions that go out of their way to assist academics through training and provide good working conditions for them to carry out their research.

“We are thrilled that the university’s continued commitment to research and research support has been recognised by this European award,” said Professor Simon Jobson, director of research and knowledge exchange. “Research is at the heart of the university’s mission to educate, to advance knowledge and to serve the common good.”

The University of Winchester has a strong research portfolio, with 82 per cent of the work submitted to the latest research excellence framework considered to be of international quality or better. The overall profile of seven out of eight units included research of world-leading quality.

To gain the award, the University of Winchester reviewed how it measured up to the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in terms of freedom of expression, professionalism, ethics, training and recruitment.