Efforts in Congress and the federal science agencies to deal
with sexual harassment in science and research have continued over the summer,
with the House giving final approval to a bill to address the problem and NASA
moving on rule changes similar to those implemented by the National Science
Foundation (NSF) last year.
On July 24, the House approved the Combating
Sexual Harassment in Science Act (H.R. 36), sending the bill to the Senate,
where it was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions. Given the upcoming August recess, it’s unclear whether and when that
chamber will take up the measure. Sens. Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Jacky Rosen
(D-NV), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also introduced a version of the bill in
April, but no action has been taken yet.
H.R. 36 was introduced in March by House Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking
Member Frank Lucas (R-OK). It draws upon recommendations made in a report
released last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine, and also directs science agencies to follow the NSF’s lead by
requiring their grantee institutions to report incidents of sexual harassment.
On a related note, NASA has issued a proposed
change to the terms and conditions of its grant awards. The change will
require grant recipient institutions to inform the agency about harassment in
NASA-funded research programs. Comments are being accepted on the proposal
through Aug. 16.
According to the National Academies study, between 20
percent and 50 percent of female students and more than 50 percent of female
faculty and staff experienced sexually harassing behavior while in academia.
The report suggests a range of practices for preventing sexual harassment, such
developing clear, accessible, and consistent policies on sexual harassment and
standards of behavior; combining anti-harassment efforts with
civility-promotion programs; moving beyond legal compliance to address culture
and climate; and considering "power-diffusion mechanisms" to reduce
the risk of sexual harassment.
ACE continues to engage with the National Academies through
the Action
Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, which was
established after the publication of the report. The four main goals of the
collaborative are to:
Raise awareness about sexual harassment and how
it occurs, the consequences of sexual harassment, and the organizational
characteristics and recommended approaches that can prevent it;
Share and elevate evidence-based institutional
policies and strategies to reduce and prevent sexual harassment;
Contribute to setting the research agenda, and
gather and apply research results across institutions;
Develop a standard for measuring progress toward
reducing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education.