§ 19194 — Research Awards

(a) The Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations)— (1) to expand research efforts to better understand the factors contributing to, and consequences of, sex-based and sexual harassment affecting individuals in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and (2) to examine approaches to reduce the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment. (b) Activities funded by an award under this section may include— (1) research on the sex-based and sexual harassment experiences of individuals, including in racial and ethnic minority groups, disabled individuals, foreign nationals, sexual-minority individuals, and others; (2) development and assessment of policies, procedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect to sex-based and sexual harassment, conflict management, and ways to foster respectful and inclusive climates; (3) research on approaches for remediating the negative impacts and outcomes of such harassment on individuals experiencing such harassment; (4) support for institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to develop, adapt, implement, and assess the impact of innovative, evidence-based strategies, policies, and approaches to policy implementation to prevent and address sex-based and sexual harassment; (5) research on alternatives to the power dynamics, hierarchical, and dependent relationships, including but not limited to the mentor-mentee relationship, in academia that have been shown to create higher levels of risk for and lower levels of reporting of sex- based and sexual harassment; and (6) establishing a center for the ongoing compilation, management, and analysis of organizational climate survey data.