NIH All About Grants Podcast: Ensuring Safe and Respectful Workplaces

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Elyse Sullivan headshot
Elyse Sullivan, Ph.D., NIH/OER Research Integrity Officer
Patricia Valdez headshot
Patricia Valdez, Ph.D., NIH/OER Chief Extramural Research Integrity Officer

Researchers deserve and should expect to work in places free from harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate behavior. This NIH All About Grants podcast episode explores how we at NIH aim to ensure a safe and respectful workplace wherever NIH-funded work is conducted. Drs. Patricia Valdez and Elyse Sullivan, Research Integrity Officers with the NIH Office of Extramural Research, explain more in this conversation. Our conversation covers NIH’s long-standing policies in this area, how to notify us, our processes for handling allegations, data, and what information may be shared throughout the process. We also discuss efforts to stop “passing the harasser,” and more on how we are trying to change the culture of harassment and discrimination in science.

“…As for the respectful workplace, we’re referring to an environment free of harassment, discrimination and other inappropriate behavior where high-quality NIH-funded research can occur. And we do care deeply about the people who are engaged in NIH-funded research, and we recognize that the research may be negatively affected in the environment if the environment is not safe and respectful.” – Dr. Patricia Valdez

“…Our ultimate goal is to ensure a safe work environment that’s conducive to high-quality research. So if there are concerns, please do notify us. We really do take action, and we really need to know what’s going on out there at the institutions.” – Dr. Elyse Sullivan

As mentioned during our conversation, please also listen to this podcast episode to learn about NIH’s efforts to ensure supported conferences are safe and respectful.

NIH’s All About Grants episodes can also be heard on iTunes, Spotify, and on the NIH Grants Youtube channel. Have an idea for a future podcast? Email [email protected]. We love suggestions!

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