Insights from the SMART Researchers Questionnaire – Foodscale Hub
In December 2025, SMART Researcher partner Foodscale Hub conducted the SMART Researchers Questionnaire to explore how research institutions support early-stage researchers and align with the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Charter for Researchers.
Engaging Early-stage Researchers (ESRs)
Three sessions were held, engaging a total of 23 early-stage researchers, predominantly aged 25-29, mostly from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, but other faculties were involved too. Each session began with an introduction to the SMART Researchers project and the ERA framework.
Participants were guided through the questionnaire, with space for discussion, reflection, and open feedback. This combination of structured Likert-scale responses and qualitative insights allowed for a comprehensive understanding of researchers’ experiences. Participants completed the questionnaire and shared reflections through discussions, providing both structured and qualitative insights into their experiences.
What we learned
The findings show that respondents demonstrate strong personal engagement, autonomy, and awareness, particularly in relation to ethics, gender equality, and Open Science.
However, while these principles are widely recognised, their formal institutionalisation is limited. Many positive practices exist informally at departmental levels but coordinated frameworks and structured policies are not yet fully implemented.
Key challenges highlighted by researchers are:
– Limited institutional coordination
– Insufficiently formalised mentoring and training schemes
– Fragmented implementation of policies across units
– Lack of transparent and clearly structured career progression pathways
Next Steps
The result will support evidence-based reflection and dialogue within institutions, helping stakeholders identify areas of strength and potential improvement. It functions not only as a diagnostic tool but also as a resource for fostering capacity-building, transparency, and alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and the ERA Policy Agenda.
The findings will help address identified gaps and build on existing strengths, with a focus on:
– Strengthening institutional coordination in line with ERA principles
– Formalising mentoring and structured training schemes
– Improving transparency and clarity of career progression pathways
– Ensuring more coherent and harmonised policy implementation across faculties and departments
The results will be presented to institutional leadership and relevant stakeholders to support evidence-based decision-making and prioritisation of reforms.