NSF Addresses Sexual Harassment by Grant Recipients

Linda Wang and Andrea Widener, Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN), 96 (7), 13, 2018.

The issue of sexual harassment is entering all aspects of our lives. As a follow up of many women’s complaints, and a great step forward, the U.S National Science Foundation announced on February 8th that in new grant applications institutions receiving NSF support are required to report any finding of sexual or other harassment involving grant personnel at grantee institutions, field sites, or anywhere science is done. The Universities will have to report to NSF those grant recipients that are found guilty of sexual harassment. NSF considers sexual harassment to be a misconduct. NSF is ready, if needed, to take unilateral action. James Sears Bryant, a lawyer who worked with several Universities on issues of sexual harassment, said: “This is being implemented in an environment of timidity. People are afraid to ask or tell”. He cited the Michigan State University’s poor investigations of complaints against Larry Nassar, former physician for USA Gymnastics and the university.  American Association of Universities, AAU, will continue to work with NSF on these issues. (Prepared by Ines Batinic-Haberle, Duke University School of Medicine)

Click here to read the full article.