In 2018 the European Commission granted the 'HR Excellence in Research Award'  to Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf for which HHU applied in the context of the European initiative ‘Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R)’. The ‘HR Excellence in Research Award’ is based on the ‘European Charter for Researchers’. The documents constitute a framework which specifies the responsibilities and entitlements of researchers as well as their employers. This includes issues such as fair recruitment procedures, career development, equal opportunities, transnational mobility and research ethics as well as a set of general principles and requirements to be followed when recruiting and appointing researchers.

The principles of ‘Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment (OTM-R)’ form a further core element of HRS4R and consist of a number of requirements to be followed by employers when recruiting researchers. Most importantly, they have to ensure fair and transparent selection and appointment procedures following clear guidelines and regulations.
By conducting the HR Excellence in Research audit, HHU aims to optimise research conditions for its research staff and increase its attractiveness to international researchers. This is based on a self-assessment report (‘gap analysis’) and a catalogue of measures (‘action plan’), which are regularly reviewed by an international commission of experts in a peer review process.

In December 2020 HHU handed in its first interim assessment on the implementation of the actions as well as an adapted action plan. These were positively evaluated by external experts in spring 2021. In March 2025 HHU was again positively evaluated during an on-site visit.

The project management for the entire 'HR Excellence in Research' process at HHU is the responsibility of the Vice President for University Culture and International Affairs at HHU.

• Strategic appointment planning, permanent position concept and "Düsseldorfer Weg" training programmes
• Implementation of electronic application portals and international job advertisements
• Targeted onboarding of international guest researchers
• Bilingual information for all researchers
• Participatory development of postdoc guidelines
• Sustainability, health and diversity measures of the HCSD
• Good Scientific Practice, Research Data Management and Data Protection are integrated into processes and regulations