NIH director pledges action on harassment after report.

Abstract

In a widely anticipated report, an advisory group last week issued sweeping recommendations for cracking down on sexual harassment in labs funded by the National Institutes of Health. NIH Director Francis Collins said the agency is already acting on some recommendations. It will soon release a procedure it will follow when it receives an allegation of sexual misconduct, and it has set up a phone and web hotline for complaints. But Collins said NIH may need to go through a formal policymaking process to take other steps the report recommended, such as requiring institutions to report sexual harassment findings to the agency.