Case Study in Research Integrity: You Can Disagree, Without Being Disagreeable

We are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful workplace wherever NIH-supported research occurs. Be it at a recipient institution, at a conference where scientific ideas are exchanged, or in our own intramural labs, everybody deserves to work in an environment that is free of harassment, bullying, intimidation, threats, or other disruptive and inappropriate behaviors. Likewise, this goes for NIH program officers, scientific review officers (SROs), grants management specialists, and other extramural staff who are dedicated to helping NIH fulfill its mission to improve the public’s health. Unfortunately, we are seeing a number of cases of uncivil behavior coming from individuals outside of NIH, directed at NIH extramural staff. Let’s consider the following scenario. Dr. Jones, a researcher seeking grant support from NIH, participates in a virtual conference call with an NIH program officer to discuss the summary statement from a recently resubmitted grant application. Soon after the meeting began, Jones’s tone and demeanor quickly turned aggressive. With a raised voice, Jones states that the review process was unfair and misleading, as issues in the original application were corrected. The virtual temperature rises further when the program officer attempted to explain the NIH process for appealing peer review outcomes. Jones regularly interrupts and speaks loudly non-stop, being condescending, hostile, and unpleasant at various times during the conversation. Picture a...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - Category: Research Authors: Tags: blog Open Mike anti-harassment NIH staff non-discrimination Research integrity Source Type: funding