{"id":72691,"date":"2018-08-20T10:30:20","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T08:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/forskere-fonde-skal-forebygge-chikane\/"},"modified":"2018-08-20T10:42:24","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T08:42:24","slug":"researchers-foundations-should-prevent-harassment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/researchers-foundations-should-prevent-harassment\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers: Foundations should prevent harassment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grant providers such as research foundations have a responsibility to ensure that the researchers they support work in a safe environment.<\/p>\n

This is according to researchers and couple Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen and Mette Bendixen, both Ph.d\u2019s from the University of Copenhagen, in a new column for the scientific journal Science.<\/p>\n

In the column, Iversen and Bendixen argue that foundations should actively participates in ensuring a healthy working environment free of stress and harassment by imposing a code of conduct on grant recipients as part of the application criteria.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch foundations have the opportunity to be part of changing the culture by demanding grant recipients meet the standards of a code of conduct. Compelling researchers and companies to prove they have meet certain standards in their grant applications will increase awareness of harassment and stressful work environments,\u201d write the researchers in the column.<\/p>\n

The #metoo effect<\/h2>\n

Over the past six months, Mette Bendixen and Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen have been living in the US, working at the University of Colorado and Arizona State University respectively. Both are supported by grants from the Carlsberg Foundation.<\/p>\n

47 percent of women medicine students at the University of Texas experienced harassment or unwanted sexual attention.<\/p>\n

American report on sexual harassment<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the US, there is a large focus on improving working environments, particularly after a landmark US study<\/a> from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine which analysed data to determine the extent of sexual harassment in research environments.<\/p>\n

The report demonstrates that 27 percent of women engineering students and 47 percent of women medicine students at the University of Texas experienced harassment or unwanted sexual attention.<\/p>\n

Last week, prominent astrophysics professor Laurence Krauss was dismissed from Arizona State University after several women accused him of sexual harassment<\/a> and an internal investigation found that he had grabbed a woman\u2019s breast at a conference in 2016.<\/p>\n

General awareness<\/h2>\n

The #metoo movement has launched debate about how to prevent sexual harassment in US.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the US there is a strong focus on a healthy working environment without harassment and stress – particularly after #metoo. It has gone from being a focus point for feminist to general knowledge among the population – also in the research world,\u201d says L\u00f8nsmann Iversen.<\/p>\n

He says that it is a good idea to introduce a code of conduct as one of the application requirements for research foundations – in Denmark, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a researcher, I have been required to meet many application requirements when applying for funding in Denmark, and the only thing that is not in focus is the quality of the working environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casual employees are especially vulnerable<\/h2>\n

He continues:<\/p>\n

\u201cAll major research conferences in the US have an ethical code today, which must be upheld by participants. And in Denmark, the universities are increasingly dependent on external funds – therefore part of the responsibility for a healthy working environment also lies with them.\u201d
\n
\nHave you or your wife experienced harassment in connection with your work?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI am a man and rarely subjected to that. However, my wife has experienced inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour where she was discriminated against because she is a woman. I have researcher friends who have been impacted by depression and stress due to poor work conditions. Casual workers such as researchers or postdocs are very vulnerable to both stress and harassment, because you don\u2019t dare submit a complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by the UK<\/h2>\n

In 2005, the UK implemented the Athena SWAN charter,<\/a> which aims to ensure a safe working environment for women researchers. Universities which are members commit to adopting ten principles focused on equality, representation and working environments.<\/p>\n

Several large UK research funds now require research groups applying for funding to be Athena SWAN certified and this has proved to have a positive effect on researchers\u2019 working environments.<\/p>\n

Bendixon and L\u00f8nsmann Iversen say that to implement an ethical code of conduct in Denmark, funds need to allocate a specific item in their budgets to ensure appropriate working environments for researchers receiving grants.<\/p>\n

Is it realistic to get the foundations to pay for that?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so. I believe that everyone has a responsibility – not just the universities. You can compare it with the fact that a Danish council has a responsibility not to hire a supplier which relies on child labour in Thailand. I know that this will not change overnight, but I think putting it on the agenda will change something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foundation director: not our job<\/h2>\n

Villum Fonden, one of Denmark\u2019s major research foundations, distributed approximately 750 million kroner to research projects in 2017, primarily in Denmark.<\/p>\n

We do not want to control how people are treated in their work. That is not our job.<\/p>\n

Thomas Bj\u00f8rnholm, Head of Research, Villum Fonden<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thomas Bj\u00f8rnholm,\u00a0 head of research<\/secret> at Villum Fonden, finds it difficult to see how the fund should take responsibility for work environments among the researchers which the foundation subsidises.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation is interesting, and it is an important topic. We are in an ongoing dialogue with the universities, and we have confidence that they take their responsibilities seriously as employers. We do not want to control how people are treated in their work. That is not our job.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his lab in Arizona, L\u00f8nsmann Iversen is aware that the procedure for grant applications will not change immediately, but that is also not his only measure of success.<\/p>\n

We want to start a debate and make grant recipients aware of these issues. This is a global debate and not just relevant for Denmark. It will only be possible to reduce discrimination and harassment if all members of the research community participate actively and take responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

We contacted the Carslberg Foundation but they had no comment on Bendixen\u2019s and L\u00f8nsmann Iversen\u2019s column.<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a column published in the scientific journal Science, former UCPH researchers Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen and Mette Bendixen argue that research foundations should actively participate in improving working conditions for researchers by incorporating a code of conduct into grant applications. One fund, Villum Fonden, says it is not their responsibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":72222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[1096,1040,795],"class_list":["post-72691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-metoo-en","tag-research-grant","tag-working-environment","expression-feature_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nResearchers: Foundations should prevent harassment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/researchers-foundations-should-prevent-harassment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Researchers: Foundations should prevent harassment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a column published in the scientific journal Science, former UCPH researchers Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen and Mette Bendixen argue that research foundations should actively participate in improving working conditions for researchers by incorporating a code of conduct into grant applications. 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et debatindl\u00e6g i Science foresl\u00e5r de tidligere KU-forskere Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen og Mette Bendixen, at forskningsfonde skal v\u00e6re med til at forbedre forskernes arbejdsmilj\u00f8 ved at lade et adf\u00e6rdskodeks indg\u00e5 i ans\u00f8gningskravene. Villum Fonden mener dog ikke, det er fondenes ansvar. ","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Grant providers such as research foundations have a responsibility to ensure that the researchers they support work in a safe environment.<\/p>\n<p>This is according to researchers and couple Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen and Mette Bendixen, both Ph.d\u2019s from the University of Copenhagen, in a new column for the scientific journal Science.<\/p>\n<p>In the column, Iversen and Bendixen argue that foundations should actively participates in ensuring a healthy working environment free of stress and harassment by imposing a code of conduct on grant recipients as part of the application criteria.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cResearch foundations have the opportunity to be part of changing the culture by demanding grant recipients meet the standards of a code of conduct. Compelling researchers and companies to prove they have meet certain standards in their grant applications will increase awareness of harassment and stressful work environments,\u201d write the researchers in the column.<\/p>\n<h2>The #metoo effect<\/h2>\n<p>Over the past six months, Mette Bendixen and Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen have been living in the US, working at the University of Colorado and Arizona State University respectively. Both are supported by grants from the Carlsberg Foundation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>47 percent of women medicine students at the University of Texas experienced harassment or unwanted sexual attention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">American report on sexual harassment<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In the US, there is a large focus on improving working environments, particularly after a landmark<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-018-05404-6\"> US study<\/a> from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine which analysed data to determine the extent of sexual harassment in research environments.<\/p>\n<p>The report demonstrates that 27 percent of women engineering students and 47 percent of women medicine students at the University of Texas experienced harassment or unwanted sexual attention.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, prominent astrophysics professor Laurence Krauss was dismissed from Arizona State University a<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2018\/08\/university-finds-prominent-astrophysicist-lawrence-krauss-grabbed-woman-s-breast\">fter several women accused him of sexual harassment<\/a> and an internal investigation found that he had grabbed a woman\u2019s breast at a conference in 2016.<\/p>\n<h2>General awareness<\/h2>\n<p>The #metoo movement has launched debate about how to prevent sexual harassment in US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the US there is a strong focus on a healthy working environment without harassment and stress – particularly after #metoo. It has gone from being a focus point for feminist to general knowledge among the population – also in the research world,\u201d says L\u00f8nsmann Iversen.<\/p>\n<p>He says that it is a good idea to introduce a code of conduct as one of the application requirements for research foundations – in Denmark, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a researcher, I have been required to meet many application requirements when applying for funding in Denmark, and the only thing that is not in focus is the quality of the working environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Casual employees are especially vulnerable<\/h2>\n<p>He continues:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll major research conferences in the US have an ethical code today, which must be upheld by participants. And in Denmark, the universities are increasingly dependent on external funds – therefore part of the responsibility for a healthy working environment also lies with them.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"I believe that everyone has a responsibility - not just the universities.","quotee":"Lars L\u00f8nsmann Iversen, PhD from UCPH","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><em>Have you or your wife experienced harassment in connection with your work?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am a man and rarely subjected to that. However, my wife has experienced inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour where she was discriminated against because she is a woman. I have researcher friends who have been impacted by depression and stress due to poor work conditions. Casual workers such as researchers or postdocs are very vulnerable to both stress and harassment, because you don\u2019t dare submit a complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Inspired by the UK<\/h2>\n<p>In 2005, the UK implemented the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecu.ac.uk\/equality-charters\/athena-swan\/about-athena-swan\/\">Athena SWAN charter,<\/a> which aims to ensure a safe working environment for women researchers. Universities which are members commit to adopting ten principles focused on equality, representation and working environments.<\/p>\n<p>Several large UK research funds now require research groups applying for funding to be Athena SWAN certified and this has proved to have a positive effect on researchers\u2019 working environments.<\/p>\n<p>Bendixon and L\u00f8nsmann Iversen say that to implement an ethical code of conduct in Denmark, funds need to allocate a specific item in their budgets to ensure appropriate working environments for researchers receiving grants.<\/p>\n<p><em>Is it realistic to get the foundations to pay for that?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope so. I believe that everyone has a responsibility – not just the universities. You can compare it with the fact that a Danish council has a responsibility not to hire a supplier which relies on child labour in Thailand. I know that this will not change overnight, but I think putting it on the agenda will change something.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Foundation director: not our job<\/h2>\n<p>Villum Fonden, one of Denmark\u2019s major research foundations, distributed approximately 750 million kroner to research projects in 2017, primarily in Denmark.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We do not want to control how people are treated in their work. That is not our job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Thomas Bj\u00f8rnholm, Head of Research, Villum Fonden<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Thomas Bj\u00f8rnholm,\u00a0 <secret text=\"And former prorector for research at the University of Copenhagen.\">head of research<\/secret> at Villum Fonden, finds it difficult to see how the fund should take responsibility for work environments among the researchers which the foundation subsidises.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe situation is interesting, and it is an important topic. We are in an ongoing dialogue with the universities, and we have confidence that they take their responsibilities seriously as employers. We do not want to control how people are treated in their work. That is not our job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his lab in Arizona, L\u00f8nsmann Iversen is aware that the procedure for grant applications will not change immediately, but that is also not his only measure of success.<\/p>\n<p>We want to start a debate and make grant recipients aware of these issues. This is a global debate and not just relevant for Denmark. It will only be possible to reduce discrimination and harassment if all members of the research community participate actively and take responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>We contacted the Carslberg Foundation but they had no comment on Bendixen\u2019s and L\u00f8nsmann Iversen\u2019s column.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"Dansk","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Receive a weekly newsletter in your inbox","button_text":"Tilmeld nu","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":48,"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":48,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1036,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":1096,"name":"Metoo","slug":"metoo-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1096,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1040,"name":"Research grant","slug":"research-grant","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1040,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":795,"name":"working environment","slug":"working-environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":795,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Feature Article","slug":"feature_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":1200,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/q3a5927-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72691"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72704,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72691\/revisions\/72704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}