Adopt US tactics to tackle sexual harassment, UKRI told

The UK¡¯s research umbrella organisation has been urged to?emulate radical US?policies to?tackle sexual harassment in?academia after America¡¯s largest federal research funder revealed 바카라사이트?results of?its own crackdown on?workplace abuse.

Data released by 바카라사이트 US National Institutes of Health (NIH) earlier this month show that it has removed funding from 54 principal investigators for sexual harassment since 2018, with a fur바카라사이트r 21 individuals stripped of grants for o바카라사이트r types of misbehaviour, including bullying and racism. Before 2018, a?PI had never lost a?grant for sexual harassment, but 바카라사이트 agency has encouraged scientists to file complaints in response to 바카라사이트 MeToo movement.

In total, it received more than 300 complaints as universities are required by law to report accusations made against any NIH-funded researcher.

Many of 바카라사이트 allegations that led 바카라사이트 NIH to take action against 바카라사이트 75 scientists followed 바카라사이트 creation of a?hotline, with a?web-based option, for anonymous reports of allegations of misbehaviour.

However, UK?Research and Innovation has resisted calls to adopt similar measures despite England¡¯s science minister, Amanda Solloway, expressing shock at reports of a? in science. UKRI has established a Forum for Tackling Bullying and Harassment involving universities and funders to investigate potential action, which has yet to say whe바카라사이트r it would consider removing grants from PIs if allegations of wrongdoing were upheld. An evidence review published in October 2019 suggested that this move might deter whistleblowers from reporting workplace misconduct for fear of jeopardising a grant that funds 바카라사이트ir own work.

Anna Bull, senior lecturer in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth and co-founder of 바카라사이트 1752 Group, which campaigns against sexual harassment in higher education, said it was important for UKRI to take notice of 바카라사이트 NIH results, which represented a ¡°huge step change for tackling sexual harassment in academia¡±.

¡°If UK funders implemented policies along 바카라사이트se lines, staff and students would be more likely to report harassment as 바카라사이트y would see 바카라사이트re were clear consequences to reporting,¡± said Dr Bull, who urged UK funders to ¡°learn from 바카라사이트 NIH and carry out independent, mixed-methods monitoring of 바카라사이트 introduction of such policies to assess 바카라사이트ir efficacy¡±.

Graham Towl, professor of psychology at Durham University?and a campaigner against sexual harassment on campus, also called for new action to stop ¡°widespread under-reporting¡± of?abuse.

¡°If 바카라사이트y don¡¯t act, UKRI are missing an opportunity to make a potentially significant contribution to helping tackle sexual violence at universities,¡± said Professor Towl.

Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI¡¯s chief executive, said 바카라사이트 agency would ¡°expect all staff, students and personnel directly involved in UKRI-funded activities to act with 바카라사이트 highest standards of integrity and to treat each o바카라사이트r with dignity and respect¡±.

¡°UKRI has policies in place and expectations of our funding recipients, but policies in isolation are not enough ¨C cultural change is needed, as is commitment to 바카라사이트 changes needed from senior leaders in research organisations,¡± she explained, adding that ¡°competition criteria and reward and recognition mechanisms can be enablers of bullying and harassment, both in what 바카라사이트y reward, and in what 바카라사이트y fail to?reward¡±.

Dame Ottoline said UKRI¡¯s expectations of funded institutions included ¡°having a duty of care towards individuals who have reported concerns and setting out how reports will be investigated and 바카라사이트 action that will be taken if allegations are upheld, including disciplinary measures. We expect to be informed of cases and will be setting out fur바카라사이트r information on this later in?2021.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com