Conference Proposals: New Requirement for Applicants
Beginning in FY 2023, for any applications to the Office of Science (SC) requesting funds to support a conference, the host organizations of the conference must have an established code of conduct or policy in place that addresses discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, and that includes processes for reporting complaints and addressing complaints. The policy or code-of-conduct must be shared with all participants prior to the conference, symposium, or workshop, and made easily available. And the application must include a recruitment and accessibility plan for speakers and attendees that includes discussion of recruitment of individuals from groups historically underrepresented in the research community, and plans to address possible barriers for attending, including but not limited to physical barriers.
The Office of Science receives applications for financial assistance for conferences predominately through the annual “SC Open Call.” The following specific language is now included in the FY 2023 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Funding Opportunity Announcement:
Conferences
Consistent with SC’s Statement of Commitment, SC does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, including sexual or non-sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, retaliation, or other disruptive behavior at institutions receiving SC funding or other locations where activities funded by SC are carried out. Further, SC is committed to advancing belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across the portfolio of activities it sponsors. For applications requesting SC funds for the purpose of supporting (hosting) a conference, symposium, or workshop, the meeting must have a policy or code of conduct in place that addresses discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, and that includes processes for reporting complaints and addressing complaints. The policy or code-of-conduct must be shared with all participants prior to the conference, symposium, or workshop (hereinafter the ‘meeting’) and made easily available.
Applications must include:
- An online link to the current code of conduct of the host organization for the meeting, or the link to where the code of conduct will be posted. If a code of conduct has not yet been established by the meeting organizers, the application must describe the process and timeline by which a code of conduct will be written, approved, and endorsed.
- A recruitment and accessibility plan for speakers and attendees that includes discussion of recruitment of individuals from groups underrepresented in the research/professional community associated with the technical focus of the meeting, and discussion on plans to address possible barriers for attendees, including but not limited to physical barriers.
It is SC’s policy that proposals requesting funding for conferences submitted to SC from DOE National Laboratories are subject to the same above requirements.
Additional Information:
