Safe and Inclusive Working Environment Plan NSF Requirement

Proposal Preparation & Submission

Notice to NSF Proposal Submitterswith Off-Site & Off-Campus Research

For each National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal that proposes to conduct research off-campus or off-site, there must be a single plan in place for that proposal that describes how certain behaviors (details below) will be addressed and the plans to ensure a safe and inclusive work environment.

For NSF-funded projects, 91Թ requires that this plan be:

  • Developed by the PI using91Թ's Safe & Inclusive Working Environment for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research Plan template. When an NSF program requires the plan as part of the proposal documents, 91Թ’s PI must complete the template for the off-site research CU is performing or complete the template as a single plan for all off-site research if CU is leading the submission;
  • Provided to the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) at time of proposal submission;
  • Provided to the lead organization if CU is participating as a subaward recipient or non-lead collaborative organization;
  • Implemented by the PI for projects that CU is leading and disseminated to individuals participating in the off-campus or off-site research prior to departure (Reference: Current Special Processing Instructions.

Background Information

It is NSF policy (NSF, Special Processing Instructions) 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, for each proposal that proposes to conduct research off-campus or off-site, the AOR must complete a certification that the organization has a plan in place for that proposal 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; and
  2. Conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly.

This plan should also 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. NSF policy does not require the plan to be reviewed by NSF, however, some programs do require the plan to be included as a supplementary document.

91Թ is committed to preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment based on race, color, national origin, pregnancy, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran (military service) status, political affiliation, or political philosophy. 91Թ’sSexual Misconduct and Discrimination and Harassment Policies and University of Colorado’s, apply to all off-campus activities as well as off-campus/off-site research for members of the 91Թ Community. University of Colorado’s and 91Թ’s Student Code of Conduct also apply to some off-campus activities and off-site research.

All 91Թ employees who have the authority to hire, promote, discipline, evaluate, grade, formally advise, or direct faculty, staff, or students are considered “responsible employees” and are required to report alleged sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, exploitation and harassment), intimate partner violence (dating and domestic), stalking, protected class discrimination, harassment, or related retaliation to 91Թ’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC).

  • The reporting obligation applies regardless of whether the member of the 91Թ community is the person who was subjected to the misconduct, or the person accused of the misconduct.
  • The reporting obligation applies regardless of where or when an incident occurred, including if it occurred off campus and/or before they were a member of the campus community.
  • The reporting obligation applies regardless of how the information was conveyed to a responsible employee (whether spoken, written, or through a third party).

The University meets NSF requirements, as well as its own expectations, by using the policies and procedures cited above, and as further amplified to cover special circumstances as dictated by the PI in the project-specific information shown in the developed plan. Principal Investigators are responsible for distributing a copy of the developed plan to each participant in an off-campus or off-site research activity prior to departure or involvement in the off-campus activity.

Plans Submitted as a Proposal Document

Certain directorates and funding announcements require the submission of a Safe and Inclusive Work Environments Plan as part of the proposal. A supplementary document, limited to two-pages unless otherwise indicated in the funding announcement, must address:

  1. A brief description of the field setting and unique challenges for the team;
  2. The steps the proposing organization will take to nurture an inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment, including processes to establish shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, and culture, e.g., codes of conduct, trainings, mentor/mentee mechanisms and field support that might include regular check-ins, and/or developmental events; 
  3. Communication processes within the off-site team and to the organization(s) that minimize singular points within the communication pathway (e.g., there should not be a single person overseeing access to a single satellite phone); and 
  4. The organizational mechanisms that will be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment if they arise.  

OCG requires use of the 91Թ template for the Safe and Inclusive Work Environment Plan. When included as part of the proposal submission, the plan will be part of the merit review process under Broader Impacts. Reviewers will evaluate plans on the following:

  • Is there a compelling plan (including procedures, trainings, and communication processes) to establish, nurture, and maintain inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment(s)?
  • Does the proposed plan identify and adequately address the unique challenges for the team and the specific off-campus or off-site setting(s)?
  • Are the organizational mechanisms to be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment, should they occur, clearly outlined?

Definition of Off-campus or Off-site Research

For the purposes of this NSF requirement, NSF defines off-campus or off-site research as data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft (, see Proposal Contents, Cover Sheet Other Information). 91Թ further defines off-campus or off-site research for this requirement with the following:

  • Data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, including at 91Թ owned locations away from main campus, for more than three consecutive days or research activities that include an overnight stay;

  • Data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site by any project team member, including team members from subrecipient organizations performing research outside their primary place of performance;

    Note:

  • Meetings and conferences that do not include data/information/samples being collected arenotconsidered off-campus or off-site research;
  • Data/information/samples collected by subrecipients or collaborative organizations at their primary place of performance isnot considered off-campus or off-site research and does not need to be included in this project plan.