Abstract

In mid-2023, our International Grants Office embarked on the exciting journey of designing a Charter of Services for both pre-award and post-award units, being one of the first offices of the University to implement this measure. The design of the Charter is governed by university regulations and must be approved by the university’s quality commission, which also oversees its compliance.

The Charter was finally approved by the University’s Quality Commission on June 12, 2024. Beyond the final outcome, this process has been a profound journey of self-reflection, which involved a prior training phase for the team members involved. We have redefined some processes and carefully considered what we can offer to our users and under what conditions. Additionally, for the first time, we have established impact indicators for the performance of our activities, moving beyond a sole focus on operational metrics and considering quality indicators.

As part of a public university, we are governed by laws on good governance and public access to information, and the development of service charters is the tool that responds to these requirements. However, beyond legal and quality considerations, we believe that the design of the Charter aligns with Open Science practices and principles, as it encompasses transparent and accountable research management activity, and ultimately public accountability.