Fostering Diversity and Preventing Harassment in the Biomedical Research Workforce
Sponsored by the AAI Committee on Public Affairs (CPA), the AAI Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), and the AAI Committee on the Status of Women (CSOW)
Chairs:
- David D. Chaplin, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, AAI Committee on Public Affairs Chair
- Robert J. Binder, Univ. of Pittsburgh, AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair
- Laura A. Solt, The Scripps Res. Inst., AAI Committee on the Status of Women Chair
Speakers:
- Elizabeth L. Hillman, President, Mills College; and Member, Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academia, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, Sexual harassment in academia: the NASEM report and recommendations
- Hannah A. Valantine, Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, NIH, NIH’s scientific approach to inclusive excellence
- Avery August, HHMI Professor; Professor of Immunology and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Cornell Univ., What can academic institutions do to address diversity and inclusion?
AAI believes that science thrives when all scientists thrive. And while the current biomedical research workforce is more diverse and welcoming than ever before, it is insufficiently diverse—and all too often unwelcoming—to female and underrepresented minority scientists. Both the federal government through its Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), have recently spoken out on these concerns. An August 2018 GAO report examines progress that the NIH has made in increasing the diversity of the biomedical research workforce and challenges NIH to do more. And a June 2018 NASEM report, entitled “Sexual Harassment of Women, Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,” describes continuing “biases and barriers,” including sexual harassment, that are faced by women scientists, and recommends ways to combat the problem.
This session will explore NIH actions to strengthen the diversity of the biomedical research workforce and address recommendations highlighted by the GAO report. It will also focus on the NASEM report, and delve into a key finding: “Diverse, inclusive, and respectful academic environments are environments where careers flourish, but sexual harassment does not.”
