How Implementing a 2022 Law is Helping Us Ensure Safe and Respectful Workplaces

Nearly two years ago, we implemented a provision in a law (Section 239 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022). The law requires NIH grant recipients to notify us when their senior key personnel on awards are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions. This step represented an important milestone to help ensure safe and respectful workplaces, free from harassment and discrimination. Here we provide an update on the implementation of Section 239. Table 1 shows how many harassment self-disclosures we received in calendar years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Section 239 was implemented in July 2022. Institutional self-disclosures increased from 24 in 2021 (15% of total allegations) to 42 in 2023 (22% of total allegations). The overall number of allegations/notifications also rose. Table 1. Number of Institutional Notifications of Harassment: CYs 2021 to 2023 Year202120222023Number of institutional notifications243042Total allegations and notifications162186192Institutional notifications as % of total15%16%22% We believe the law was one factor leading to the increase seen in recent years, but it was likely not the only reason. As we noted in a post from last March, heightened awareness in the research community, our outreach efforts, and strengthened recipient notification requirements may have also helped contribute to the increase in notifications. Has the new req...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - Category: Research Authors: Tags: blog Open Mike Compliance harassment Source Type: funding