Science Agencies Address Sexual Harassment
BU IN DC
Julie Wickstrom of Financial Assistance discussed federal student aid with federal officials and Congressional staff during the Higher Education Loan Coalition’s fall meeting between September 16 and 18.
SCIENCE AGENCIES ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new anti-harassment policy on Wednesday that will require universities to alert the agency if they find that an NSF-funded researcher committed sexual harassment or if they place an NSF-funded investigator on administrative leave. The policy goes into effect on October 21. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration also recently made announcements regarding their own anti-harassment policies. NIH Director Francis Collins plans to ask the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science to develop government-wide “measures that would be most effective in changing the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in science.”
NEW FACES COMING TO NIH, DEPT. OF EDUCATION
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Bruce Tromberg will become director of the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering in 2019. Dr. Tromberg is a biophotonics researcher at the University of California, Irvine.
- NIH also announced that Helene Langevin will serve as the next director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, starting in November. Dr. Langevin currently leads the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in Boston.
- President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate Robert King to serve as assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education; he is awaiting Senate confirmation. Mr. King is the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and formerly served as the chancellor of the State University of New York System.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Dr. Bill Easterling will discuss his role as assistant director of the Geosciences Directorate (GEO) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) on campus on Thursday, September 27. The Directorate provides 64% of all federal funding for academic research in the atmospheric, earth, ocean, and polar sciences, helping deepen our knowledge of ecosystems and better prepare society to respond to disruptive natural disasters. Dr. Easterling will provide BU researchers with insight into GEO’s funding priorities, NSF’s new initiatives, the agency’s budget, and how faculty can best interact with program officers. A reception will follow the 3:30 p.m. discussion.