National Science Foundation (NSF) now requires Principal Investigators (PIs) to provide a plan to ensure Safe and Inclusive Work Environments when off-campus/off-site research will be conducted. It is NSF policy (NSF , Chapter XI.A.1.g.) to foster safe and harassment-free environments.听 For proposals submitted 01/30/23 or later, PI鈥檚 must have a plan in place for each project with off-campus or off-site research that addresses abuse of any person or conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly. In addition, several solicitations will pilot requiring and evaluating this plan as part of the Broader Impacts criteria. A two-page supplementary document must: (1) describe the field setting and unique challenges; (2) the steps that will be taken to nurture an inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment, including shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, culture, etc.; (3) communication processes with the off-site team and organization that minimize singular points/people within a communication pathway; and (4) the organizational mechanisms that will be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment if they arise.听 This plan must be developed by the PI using the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) template at the proposal stage, provided to OCG prior to a NSF award being set up, and implemented by the PI.听
You can find required plan templates, along with additional information on this requirement on the OCG website.听
Examples of further reading:
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Methods in Ecology and Evolution article: A guide for developing a field research safety manual that explicitly considers risks for marginalized identities in the sciences:
Eos article: Changing the Culture of Fieldwork in the Geosciences:
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