Plan for Safe & Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research

1. Background

It is NSF policy to foster safe and harassment-free environments wherever science is conducted. NSF’s policy recognizes that a community effort is essential to eliminate sexual and other forms of harassment in science and to build inclusive scientific climates where people can learn, grow, and thrive. Accordingly, effective for all National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals submitted on or after January 30, 2023, each proposal that involves conducting research off-campus or off-site, must have a plan in place for the proposed project that describes how the following types of behavior will be addressed: 1) abuse of any person, including, but not limited to, harassment, stalking, bullying, or hazing of any kind, whether the behavior is carried out verbally, physically, electronically, or in written form; or 2) conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly.

For purposes of this requirement, off-campus or off-site research is defined as data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft.

2. Key Institutional Policies & Procedures

Union College is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning, living, and working environment. Union College’s Title IX Policy, Gender-based Misconduct Policy, and Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Bias, and Retaliation in Employment and their associated procedures define prohibiting conduct. Union College students, faculty, and staff as well as non-members are expected to comply with our policies.

In accordance with New York law, all faculty and staff members must complete annual sexual harassment prevention training, Preventing Harassment and Discrimination. The College’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Bias, and Retaliation in Employment, the Student Code of Conduct, and the Gender-based Misconduct Policy have jurisdiction over all defined misconduct that effects or is a part of a Union College educational program or activity both on and away from campus. As such, matters of discrimination, harassment, or bias occurring off-campus involving parties associated with the College’s programs or activities will be ripe for adjudication within the College’s procedures.

Allegations of misconduct by non-members will be adjudicated through the College’s Rule of Public Order and/or through the referral of matters to the non-member’s institution for adjudication within the institution’s community standards or other applicable misconduct policies.

To learn more, please see visit the Title IX website.

3. Safe & Inclusive Working Environments Plan Requirements

Plans for safe and inclusive working environments for off-campus or off-site research must describe how the following types of behavior will be addressed:

1. Abuse of any person, including, but not limited to, harassment, stalking, bullying, or hazing of any kind, whether the behavior is carried out verbally, physically, electronically, or in written form; or
2. Conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly.

Plans should identify steps the proposing organization will take to nurture an inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment, e.g. trainings; processes to establish shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, and culture, e.g., codes of conduct; and field support, such as mentor/mentee support mechanisms, regular check-ins, and/or developmental events.

Communications within team and to the organization should be considered in the plan, minimizing singular points within the communications pathway (e.g., a single person overseeing access to a single satellite phone), and any special circumstances such as the involvement of multiple organizations or the presence of third parties in the working environment should be taken into account. The process or method for making incident reports as well as how any reports received will be resolved should also be accounted for.

Plans for the proposal must be disseminated to individuals participating in the off-campus or off-site research prior to departure.

4. Implementation of the NSF Requirement at Union

To develop and maintain a project specific Plan for Safe & Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research, PIs are required to:

Pre-Submission:

1. Develop a project specific plan using our template prior to proposal submission, and provide a copy of the plan to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO); the SPO will review the plan and request, if necessary, that the PIs make revisions to the plan.

Post-Award:

1. Review their plan and make any necessary updates to the plan prior to conducting any off-campus or off-site research travel, if the proposal is funded.
2. Distribute the plan to all individuals participating in the off-campus or off-site research prior to departure.

To ensure compliance with NSF’s Plan for a Safe and Inclusive Off-Campus Work Environment requirement, records will be maintained, as follows:

Pre-Submission:

1. PIs are required to provide the SPO with a copy of their plan prior to submission; the PIs and SPO are required to retain a copy of this plan.

Post-Award:

1. PIs are required to provide the SPO with a copy of all updated plans (prior to departure). PIs and the SPO are required to retain a copy of the plan, or updated plan, throughout the duration of the award and for a period of three years after the financial closeout of the grant.
2. PIs are required to document that this policy and the plan have been distributed to all individuals prior to conducting research travel (e.g., signature page, email confirmation of receipt, etc.)

5. Links to Key Institutional Policies & Procedures

Title IX Website
Policies and Procedures for Students - Title IX and Gender-based Misconduct Policy
Policies and Procedures for Faculty - Title IX and Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Bias and Retaliation in Employment
Policies and Procedures for Staff - Title IX and Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Bias and Retaliation in Employment
Report Sexual Misconduct
Report a General Incident
Report an Incident of Bias or Intolerance
Report Hazing
Report Title IX or Gender-Based Misconduct
Community Standards
Code of Community Standards
Student Handbook
Union College Faculty Manual Section V Ethics & Conduct

6. Plan for Safe & Inclusive Working Environments Template

Downloadable Plan for Safe & Inclusive Working Environments Template
Downloadable Plan for Safe & Inclusive Working Environments Policy & Template