For NIH Awardee Organizations and Those Who Work There

NIH mandates that all recipients of its funding comply with federal civil rights laws, develop policies to prevent harassment, maintain clear codes of conduct, provide reporting mechanisms for misconduct, respond promptly to allegations, and inform NIH of disciplinary actions against key personnel due to harassment or hostile work environment issues.

NIH expects all members of the NIH community to comply with laws, regulations, and policies protecting the rights and safety of individuals working on NIH-funded projects. Recipients of NIH funding are required also to comply with applicable federal civil rights laws and regulations, as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIH GPS) , as a term and condition of award. NIH also expects awardee organizations to:

  • develop and implement policies and practices that foster a harassment-free environment;
  • maintain clear, unambiguous professional codes of conduct;
  • ensure staff are fully aware and regularly reminded of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and codes of conduct;
  • provide an accessible, effective, and easy process to report sexual harassment, and provide protection from retaliation;
  • respond promptly to allegations to ensure the immediate safety for all involved, investigate the allegations, and take appropriate sanctions; and
  • inform NIH when senior/key personnel on NIH awards are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined by the recipient institution due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation or hostile working conditions.

Please visit the NIH Grants and Funding website on supporting a safe and respectful workplace at institutions that receive NIH funding for comprehensive information about policies and requirements for awardees.