NSF Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault

By Lucio Guerrero, Research, Discovery and Innovation
Feb. 12, 2019
To: UA Community
From: The Office of Research, Discovery and Innovation
Subject: NSF Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault
Date: Feb 12, 2019

The National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a new award term and condition titled Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault. The NSF also issued a change to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) requiring that conference proposals have a policy or code-of-conduct that addresses sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault.   

The new award term and condition, which is effective for any new award or any funding amendment to an existing award made after October 21, 2018, requires awardee institutions to notify NSF of:

  • Any findings or determination that an NSF-funded principal investigator (PI) or co-principal investigator (co-PI) violated the awardee institution's policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations or executive orders relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment or sexual assault; or
  • The placement of the PI or co-PI on administrative leave or the imposition of any administrative action relating to a harassment or sexual assault finding or investigation.

The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) from Research, Discovery & Innovation (RDI) will submit the required notification electronically to NSF within 10 business days of the date of the finding/determination or administrative leave/action, in accordance with a protocol established through collaboration between RDI and the University's Office of Institutional Equity, Division of Human Resources and Office of General Counsel. Accordingly, researchers do not currently have any reporting obligations under the new term and condition. 

RDI and other appropriate offices, as necessary, will work with NSF with the goal of ensuring the safety and security of other award personnel and the continued progress of the funded project. More information about the new award term and condition is available in NSF's FAQs.

The requirement for conference proposals is effective on TBA. (The partial shutdown delayed the implementation date. The NSF has not published a new date yet.) In addition to requiring that the awardee organization has a policy for harassment, it further requires that the organization establish clear and accessible means for reporting violations that occur at conferences. The policy or code-of-conduct must be disseminated to all participants in advance of the event. Where required in the proposal application and conference materials, please include a link to the University of Arizona's Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment policy at http://policy.arizona.edu/human-resources/nondiscrimination-and-anti-harassment-policy.

Please direct inquiries about the new award term and condition to Lori Schultz at lschultz@email.arizona.edu. If you have questions about the University's Nondiscrimination and Anti-harassment Policy and related procedures, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at equity@email.arizona.edu. Updates to this information will be posted at: https://rgw.arizona.edu/nsf-award-term-condition-harassment.

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