NSF addresses sexual harassment by grantees

Abstract

The U.S. National Science Foundation will require universities to report grant recipients whom they have found guilty of sexual harassment, the agency announced on Feb. 8. Under a new condition of the award, institutions receiving NSF support are required to report any finding of sexual or other harassment involving grant personnel—including principal investigators—as well as the placement of any individuals on administrative leave relating to a harassment investigation or finding. In response to those reports, NSF can now apply the same sanctions to findings of sexual harassment that it does to findings of research misconduct. That can include suspending or terminating a grant. “NSF doesn’t tolerate sexual harassment or any form of harassment at grantee institutions or field sites, or anywhere that science is done,” says France A. Cordova, NSF’s director. Cordova says that although NSF does not include sexual harassment in the definition of research misconduct, it does consider