ISSUE PAPER
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This activity was supported by the Member Organizations of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. Any views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-73295-6
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/28852
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Suggested citation: Gary, S., A. Allison, S. Burton, C. Cuthbert-Martinez, L. J. McKown, and S. Rankin. 2025. Considerations for Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/28852.
Authors
SYDNEY GARY (Lead Author), Director of Research Operations at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL).
KAITLIN SPEAR (Project Director), Program Officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
ADRIENNE ALLISON, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students and Equity Compliance Investigator in the Office for Institutional Equity at Duke University.
SHANNON LYNN BURTON, University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University; Co-Ombuds for the American Educational Research Association (AERA); Adjunct Professor of Management at Aquinas College; Editor for the Journal of the IOA (JIOA).
CLARE CUTHBERT-MARTINEZ, former Director of Legislative Affairs of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, Inc. (NAGPS); STEM Instructor at the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology.
LAUREN JONES McKOWN, Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX at the University of Kansas.
SARAH RANKIN, Institute Title IX Coordinator in the Title IX and Bias Response Office for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST DISCLOSURES
The authors declare no competing interests or disclosures.
Contents
What and Who Are Postdoctoral Scholars?
Structural Factors Contributing to the Risk of Sexual Harassment for Postdoctoral Scholars
Lack of Integration Compared with Student or Faculty Populations
Dyadic Relationship with Supervisor
Lack of Reliable and Valid Data Collection Efforts
Clarity on Policies and Procedures
Intentional Mentorship Efforts
