NSF to host a Sexual Assault Harassment Prevention and Response (SAHPR) Virtual Listening Session *specifically for polar early career scientists*

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Mariama smiles in the aspens of Colorado

Mariama Dryák-Vallies

The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs is hosting a Sexual Assault Harassment Prevention and Response (SAHPR) Virtual Listening Session *specifically for polar early career scientists* on February 15, from 12:00-1:30pm ET | 10:00-11.30am MT | 8:00am-9:30am AKT. PSECCO encourages any and all Antarctic early career scientists who have done or intend to do research in Antarctica to attend. 

More information on the sessions, including a Zoom link, can be found below. 

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The following news release is quoted from the National Science Foundation website, published on January 18, 2023. You can access the full article here. 

"The NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP) is inviting members of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) community to upcoming Sexual Assault Harassment Prevention and Response (SAHPR) virtual Listening Sessions taking place in February 2023.

For background, in April 2021, NSF enlisted subject-matter experts to examine sexual harassment and sexual assault in the USAP Community and recommend corrective actions. Their findings and recommendations are detailed in the recently released SAHPR Needs Assessment Report and Implementation Plan (Report), which can be found on the NSF website. A summary of the Report’s key findings can be found here. The Report presents both serious concerns and a clear path for improvement.

The USAP is grateful to those who engaged with the team to provide feedback and share their experiences, and we are committed to identifying and addressing the problems revealed by the assessment. As a part of this process, we hosted seven in-person listening sessions at McMurdo Station in late October/early November 2022 to give USAP community members the opportunity to respond to the Report, engage NSF leadership about their experiences regarding sexual harassment and assault within the USAP, and provide feedback to NSF on SAHPR efforts, past, present, and future.  

As OPP launches these virtual sessions, more of the USAP community is invited to join this conversation. This is an opportunity for you to talk and for NSF to listen. Any current and past USAP community member, particularly those that have deployed in the last 5 years, may bring comments, questions, and concerns directly to NSF. 

February 15, 2023 12:00-1:30pm ET/ February 16, 2023 6:00-7:30am NZ

This session will be capped at 100 and will be first come first serve.

The Listening Sessions will be facilitated by subject-matter experts from Team LDSS* who conducted the focus groups and key-informant interviews for the Report. The Team LDSS facilitators will also be available by appointment where you are welcome to share feedback and experiences in a more private setting. For more information about the Listening Sessions see the FAQs.

OPP hopes you will be able to attend a Listening Session. We are committed to working with all USAP partners, contractors, and participants to ensure the USAP community is free from sexual harassment and sexual assault."