NIH Director Francis Collins Makes A Statement Regarding Sexual Harassment In Science

Source: Schlosser & Prichettt Law

If there is one overarching reality that has been unveiled over the last two years, that is the reality of sexual harassment is still very real and alive in our 'male dominated' society.  Why have we not made more progress toward equality over the last few decades is beyond me.  I do not pretend to have answers or thoughts on the matter -- except to say -- equality should be a present reality rather one we are working toward.  Progress should be made immediately without regret.  Scientific research is not immune to such 'male dominance' and needs to change too.  Due to the #MeToo movement which has taken over the last two years, the Director of National Institutes of Health has released a statement regarding the changing culture to eliminate sexual harassment.



Shown below is the statement in full from the "Director's Page" of the National Institutes of Health web site:

Changing the culture of science to end sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is about power. The goal of the perpetrator, most commonly but not exclusively a man, is to objectify, exclude, demoralize, diminish, and coerce the victim, most commonly a woman, to exert power over her.  It’s morally indefensible, it’s unacceptable, and it presents a major obstacle that is keeping women from achieving their rightful place in science — as trainees representing the next generation of innovators, as researchers making important scientific discoveries, and as senior personnel on NIH-supported grants.  I was disheartened to read the conclusions of the recent National Academies report (link is external), which NIH funded along with other government science agencies, finding no evidence that current policies, procedures, and approaches have significantly reduced sexual harassment in academic sciences, engineering, and medicine. It is clear we must do more to change the fundamental culture of our organizations. 

NIH recognizes that we need to increase our transparency on this issue. Today we launched an anti-sexual harassment website that comprehensively outlines our policies, practices, and initiatives to address sexual harassment at NIH, at the institutions we support, and anywhere where NIH research activities take place.

In our intramural program, we hold ourselves accountable as employers, and have been intensively working to strengthen our systems for NIH employees to address, report, and prevent sexual harassment. These efforts have been guided by the NIH Anti-Sexual Harassment Steering Committee within my office.  New initiatives, which also will be summarized in a Federal Register Notice in a few days, include an updated policy on harassment; a new centralized process for managing reports of harassment, including making it easier to report; launching a robust communication, training, and education campaign; and administering a survey this winter to all NIH staff, including contractors, to assess NIH workplace climate and harassment. Results of this survey will be used to design initiatives targeting sexual harassment in the workplace.  Our goal is to create a paradigm shift in the scientific culture wherever NIH research activities take place to eliminate sexual harassment and enhance women’s contributions to scientific advancements.  In the future, we will encourage NIH-funded institutions to administer the survey to their researchers to gather a systematic national assessment that will inform data-driven, coordinated initiatives to prevent sexual harassment across the biomedical research enterprise.

We also wish to highlight policies that apply to the thousands of research institutions that receive funding from NIH.  A question we often hear from the community is why NIH doesn’t automatically terminate funding to all investigators who are accused or found guilty of sexual harassment at the institutions we fund. This is a complex issue.  NIH funding is awarded to institutions, not to individuals.  As a term and condition of a grant award, institutions are required to develop and implement policies and practices that foster a harassment-free environment.   If a principal investigator on an NIH grant is removed from their position or placed on administrative leave, we require the institution to notify NIH before replacing that investigator.  We then have the option to suspend or terminate the grant if the proposed alternative arrangements are not acceptable to NIH. However, we often find in those difficult circumstances that working with the institution and approving an alternative principal investigator preserves the science, and allows other personnel working on the grant, including in some cases the victim of harassment, to continue their research.  Depending on the circumstances, we also can consider enforcement actions such as disallowing costs or suspending the grant.  We also can coordinate with other offices including law enforcement and/or the HHS Office of Inspector General to consider a referral for debarment or suspension.  These policies are highlighted on the anti-sexual harassment webpage. 

Our colleagues at the National Science Foundation (NSF) also are engaged in clarifying their own approach to this issue. Ultimately, these policies should be harmonized across the government.  As co-chair of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science, along with NSF Director Dr. France Córdova, I plan to ask the Committee to consider uniform measures that would be most effective in changing the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in science, and fostering a culture of respect for all.  I personally consider addressing this matter to be a high priority for NIH. 

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, National Institutes of Health

The content of the letter above is reassuring if Director Francis Collins is ready to back up his words in the statement.  Women deserve to be elevated to an equal status in academia along with any other profession across the United States of America.  Anything less is seen as being complicit with those committing such undesirable/unacceptable behavior.  What will be fascinating to watch is how the funding issue plays out in Academia.  As stated in the letter above, universities are responsible to have sexual harassment policies and investigative procedures in place.  Although, as history (recent news updates) have suggested that sexual harassment of women is still pervasive at Universities around the U.S. and still needs to be reigned in by university administrators.



Director Francis Collins is making progress by releasing an explicit letter containing policies/thoughts about the present unacceptable situation facing society as a whole.  The expanding number of avenues through which a victim has to be able to report abuses are extremely encouraging.  What remains to be seen is actual action -- removing habitual offenders in academia who are well known to offend.



Society is dealing with this very issue on a National level with the current Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.  As the news is reporting, the country is still nowhere near where we as a society need to be.  Judge Kavanaugh is portraying himself as a 'good boy' - which is increasingly under fire - with contradictions from other classmates.  Until we as a society start to listen to a greater number of people and remove these offenders, then we will be stuck in an endless cycle of waiting for change.



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National Institutes of Health - Anti-Sexual Harassment Web site


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