COLDEX Statement about the NSF OPP/USAP Report on Sexual Assault/Harassment and Response

Dear members of the COLDEX community,

Last week the National Science Foundation made their final report on sexual harassment and assault in the US Antarctic program (USAP) public. The report finds that sexual harassment, assault and stalking are a large problem in USAP stations and programs, that USAP participants have a lack of trust in the Antarctic Support Contractor HR department to take meaningful action, and that the NSF lacks adequate reporting and response systems.

The report can be found here.

COLDEX leadership strongly believes that all forms of gender-based discrimination, harassment or violence are unacceptable in all of our shared spaces: field, meetings, lab, or in online interactions. We strive to create an Antarctic field program that is free of such behavior, that is safe and welcoming to all participants. COLDEX has created its own procedures and codes of conduct to ensure the safety of all participants both in Antarctica and at their home institutions. These can be found in the COLDEX integrity and professional Ethics policy document

COLDEX will take violations of these policies, including any reports of sexual misconduct, very seriously and consequences for misconduct may include removal from the field site or from COLDEX.

COLDEX will further organize pre-deployment meetings for all field teams to discuss expectations for behavior, describe the support system we want to provide to prevent issues where possible, and outline procedures for getting help and reporting misconduct. In addition to a formal structure, our best strategy is to help each other as a team. We encourage your input and ideas towards COLDEX strategies and we recommend (and will arrange) bystander training especially for those going to the field this year.

Finally, the NSF report notes that use of alcohol often contributes to misconduct. COLDEX field programs do permit the use of alcohol in moderation, but do not tolerate excessive use or drunkenness.

At the upcoming all-hands meeting in Corvallis we will devote attention to these important issues. Please come with your ideas, suggestions, and concerns.

If you have concerns about sexual harassment or assault, including concerns about your upcoming deployment to Antarctica, you can contact any member of the COLDEX executive committee or the contacts listed in the COLDEX integrity and professional ethics document.

Together we can create a safe and welcoming field experience for all COLDEX members.

Edward Brook, COLDEX Director

Erin Pettit, Danielle Whittaker, Jeff Severinghaus, Heidi Roop, Christo Buizert, John Higgins, Julia Marks Peterson, Kristen Rahilly, Michelle Koutnik and Peter Neff, COLDEX Executive Committee