Managing the regulatory and fiduciary responsibilities that accompany sponsored research funds is a complex undertaking as this funding is highly regulated. Sound financial management of sponsored funds is critical in maintaining the public’s trust in both investigators’ and the institution’s ability to discharge their fiduciary responsibilities in managing the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars a year in support of research, and in ensuring the public and research participants that the research is conducted in accordance with the highest scientific and ethical standards.
Policy Contacts
Ara Tahmassian
Chief Research Compliance Officer
Office for Sponsored Programs
OSP, Harvard University
Award management, or “post-award,” which involves a variety of requirements relating to the expenditure of sponsored research funds, is managed by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), in close collaboration with the various school-based sponsored projects and research administration offices. Please visit OSP’s website for a complete overview of award management polices and procedures.
Harvard University has three sponsored programs offices providing oversight and grants management of sponsored research. The Sponsored Administration Leadership Committee (“SALC”) brings together the leadership of these three programs, along with the Vice Provost for Research and the University Director of Sponsored Research to discuss shared issues, concerns and matters of oversight and grants management. University-wide policies developed by SALC can be found under the See Also section of this page or OSP’s website.
Plan for a Safe and Inclusive Working Environment for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research Under an NSF Award: Plan for Safe and Inclusive Field/Vessel/Aircraft Research (PSI-FVAR)
Harvard University’s mission is “to educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society”, through excellent teaching, learning, research, and knowledge translation and communication. Harvard’s core values comprise “respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others, honesty and integrity in all dealings, conscientious pursuit of excellence in one’s work, and accountability for actions and conduct in the workplace.”
To promote the institutional mission and values, Harvard is committed to promoting a learning and working environment in which all faculty, researchers, postdoctoral fellows, students, staff, and visitors are treated with respect and dignity. The University is steadfast in creating and maintaining a campus community that is free from sexual harassment and sexual violence. The University also works to provide an environment free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation for all students and employees.
Harvard University considers field research, field studies, and fieldwork an essential component of its scholarly activities. Whether research and scholarship occur in the field or on campus, the University expects that all activities will be conducted in a manner aligned with community expectations and University policies.
The University’s mission and values align with the NSF policy described in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (NSF 23-1) to foster safe and harassment-free environments wherever research is conducted. The NSF policy requires that the University have a plan in place to address certain behaviors should they occur while off-campus or off-site research is conducted.
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. This document constitutes a plan for off-campus and off-site research that describes how the following types of behavior will be addressed:
- 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; or
- Conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly.
Harassing, coercive, or troublesome acts can be forms of misbehavior that undermine the success of the university mission and impair individuals toward whom such behavior is directed. The University ensures faculty, researchers, staff, as well as students, and visitors from all schools refrain from and discourage harassment and discrimination of any type. Harassment based on gender, sex stereotyping, or sexual orientation is also prohibited under the University’s non-discrimination policy.
To promote a safe and inclusive culture, the University is taking the following steps:
- Requiring all students and employees (faculty and staff) complete campus-supported training addressing issues of sexual harassment and sexual violence – https://provost.harvard.edu/sexual-harassment-prevention-online-training
- Emphasizing Harvard University policies to address conduct expectations, including processes for how incident reports are made and how reports received are resolved:
- Providing resources to help create a healthy climate and prevent hostile and intimidating behavior, including:
- Offering regularly scheduled training sessions on Sexual Harassment, Gender Equity, and Inclusion:
- Offering resources through Harvard Global Support Services (GSS) including pre-departure support and international trip registration for SOS assistance: https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/advice/sexual-assault-gender-violence-support
NSF Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research: Resources and Forms
Read the VPR’s message to the faculty on this topic here
All NSF proposals with any work considered off-campus or off-site must include a plan for ensuring the work environment is safe and inclusive for all participants. Please complete the boxes on the following document for your specific grant if it includes off-site research. We have included the form (linked below) in both fillable PDF and word document form, depending if you want to fill it out online or by hand. Your plan should not exceed two pages.
NSF SAFE AND INCLUSIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENTS PLAN FOR OFF-CAMPUS OR OFF-SITE RESEARCH (Fillable PDF)