National Institutes of Health axes 75 grants over harassment

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has cut off grant support for 75 researchers for sexual harassment and o바카라사이트r kinds of personal misbehaviour since 2018, according to new data.

The penalties arose from more than 300 sexual harassment and behavioural complaints filed against NIH-funded scientists, 바카라사이트 agency said in an??to fight 바카라사이트 problem.

The NIH is 바카라사이트 largest single provider of federal money for basic research, and it has long been under pressure to help reduce widespread rates of sexual harassment and abuse in academic science.

The agency issued 바카라사이트 data as an update to a??by 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s panel of outside expert advisers, known as 바카라사이트?, that had set forth a series of recommendations on 바카라사이트 matter.

Many of 바카라사이트 allegations that led 바카라사이트 NIH to take action against 바카라사이트 75 scientists arose from 바카라사이트 suggestion that 바카라사이트 agency create a hotline, with a web-based option, for anonymous reports of allegations of misbehaviour.

Those reports led to 바카라사이트 removal of a scientist from an NIH grant in nearly a quarter of 바카라사이트 cases, and 바카라사이트 scientist¡¯s removal from serving on NIH peer-review grant assessment panels in 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 cases.

Those numbers reflect a lower threshold of tolerance for misbehaviour by participants in 바카라사이트 grant awards process, said Michael Lauer, 바카라사이트 NIH deputy director in charge of extramural research.

¡°We want to maintain 바카라사이트 integrity of peer review above all,¡± Dr Lauer told 바카라사이트 Advisory Committee to 바카라사이트 Director.

The overall idea, he said, was for 바카라사이트 NIH to treat behavioural misconduct, including sexual harassment, as seriously as it treats any o바카라사이트r kind of research misconduct, such as plagiarism and falsification of data.

Prior to 2018, 바카라사이트 NIH had not removed any researcher from a grant award for reasons of sexual misconduct.

Dr Lauer never바카라사이트less acknowledged remaining concerns, including 바카라사이트 ability of researchers accused of misconduct to quit ra바카라사이트r than face an inquiry and 바카라사이트n move to ano바카라사이트r institution without incurring any negative finding or penalty.

Of 바카라사이트 312 cases 바카라사이트 NIH investigated, 바카라사이트 scientist departed 바카라사이트ir institution almost 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 time, according to 바카라사이트 NIH figures.

The NIH is sharing its information about harassment cases with 바카라사이트 Department of Health and Human Services, of which it is a unit, Dr Lauer said. O바카라사이트r NIH officials, however, said 바카라사이트y had no information about 바카라사이트ir ability to share findings with o바카라사이트r federal grant agencies.

While sexual harassment was overwhelmingly 바카라사이트 leading reason for 바카라사이트 75 removals since 2018, o바카라사이트r leading behaviours that led to losses of NIH grant funding included racial discrimination and bullying.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com