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Bullying and harassment are just plain wrong. (Alyson Fox, director of grants, Wellcome Trust)
A top geneticist has lost her funding based on bullying allegations, reports Nature.
The top scientist, Nazneen Rahman, was accused by scientists and staff at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London of bullying behavior. Following the allegations, the ICR commissioned a law firm to carry out an independent investigation. Rather than waiting for a disciplinary hearing, Ms Rahman instead notified the ICR that she would leave after her research grant would be finished come October.
Now the UK biomedical charity which funded Ms Rahman's research has decided to act earlier, and pulled her funding. This, the Wellcome Trust claims, is in line with their new anti-bullying policy. In this, the Trust, as a first in the UK, followed the lead of the US National Science Foundation.
While the NSF's policy focused on sexual harassment, the Trust's policy takes things a bit further.
Their policy defines bullying as a misuse of power that can make people feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened. It says harassment is unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating someone else's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
It should be noted though that the Trust bases its decision on allegations without having detailed knowledge of these allegations; nor has Ms Rahman been able (or willing) to defend herself against these allegations.
The Trust states that bullying "causes significant harm, stops people achieving their full potential and stifles good research."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @07:42PM (1 child)
Yeah I had the same thought. This easily becomes an avenue for abuse.
That said, don't make too much out of it. This is just how societies work. Hopefully the Trust continues to do investigations and doesn't just yank funding based on accusations, and until then there is no reason to cry foul.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @07:48PM
Oh, I was worried when I read
I'm glad to hear that they haven't pulled her funding! I'd hate to see a woman in STEM get the axe over a mere accusation!
I hope they investigate and take into consideration that often incels believe that actions and words that would merely make a man an assertive leader constitute bullying when done/said by a woman.