Shegerian & Associates: National Science Foundation Enacts New Harassment Policy for Grant Recipients
NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Foundation, or N.S.F., recently enacted a new policy aimed at eliminating grant recipients who have been accused of harassment.
Enacted by the director of the N.S.F., France Cordova, the new policy requires institutions that accept an N.S.F. grant to notify the agency of any findings related to harassment by the lead scientists on it. Additionally, individuals can directly report harassment to the N.S.F. Both new practices mean that institutions whose scientists are accused of harassment are likely to lose grant funds.
The N.S.F.'s policy may be the most consequential action taken to hold academic institutions accountable for harassment. Other agencies only require a notification if a scientist can no longer work on a grant, but do not need to be provided a reason why.
Carney Shegerian, the founder of Shegerian & Associates, a Los Angeles-based employees' rights law firm, praises the N.S.F.'s new policy.
"The National Science Foundation's policy that institutions alert them of harassment charges against recipients is critical to hold the scientific academic space accountable," Shegerian said.
The goal of the N.S.F. is to shift the culture in the field of scientific research. The science field often evaluates scientists without any consideration for their personal conduct. But the N.S.F., who distributed grants to 40,000 scientists at a total of 2,000 institutions in 2017, is seeking to change that.
Other efforts are being made by female scientists to increase female representation in the field. For example, Jocelyn Bell Burnell plans to use the $3 million Breakthrough Prize she received to create scholarships for women and other under-represented groups to increase the representation of women in physics.
Studies show that documented biases in the hiring, salary, start-up for laboratories, credit for authorship of papers, letters of recommendation and more all put female scientists at a disadvantage to their male counterparts.
The N.S.F.'s new harassment policy is working to level the playing field in science, and is a step in the right direction.
About Shegerian & Associates:
Shegerian & Associates has won clients over $200 million in employment-based disputes and maintains a 98% success rate. We have offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and New York.
Media Contact:
Pace Public Relations
Caroline Kropke
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SOURCE Shegerian & Associates
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