NIH Publishes Update on Efforts to Address Sexual Harassment in Science
On February 28, the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released an update on efforts underway at NIH to address sexual harassment in science. The update outlines that, following the National Academies of Sciences’ report on sexual harassment of women in science, NIH established the Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) on Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment. The task of the working group is to assess the current state of sexual harassment, advise on accountability measures, propose policies, and develop strategies for encouraging research on anti-harassment policies and measures of their effectiveness. The Working Group met for the first time this month and will report interim recommendations in June and provide a final report and recommendations to the ACD in December. The update also lists several themes that will be at the center of the working group’s recommendations including demonstrating accountability and transparency, clarifying expectations for institutions and investigators to ensure a safe workplace and inform the agency, providing clear channels of communication to NIH, and listening to victims and survivors of sexual harassment and incorporating their perspectives into future actions. More information can be found in the NIH website.