(a)  In general

The Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations)⁠—

(1)  to expand research efforts to better understand the factors contributing to, and consequences of, sex-based and sexual harassment affecting individuals in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and

(2)  to examine approaches to reduce the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment.

(b)  Use of funds

Activities funded by an award under this section may include⁠—

(1)  research on the sex-based and sexual harassment experiences of individuals, including in racial and ethnic minority groups, disabled individuals, foreign nationals, sexual-minority individuals, and others;

(2)  development and assessment of policies, procedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect to sex-based and sexual harassment, conflict management, and ways to foster respectful and inclusive climates;

(3)  research on approaches for remediating the negative impacts and outcomes of such harassment on individuals experiencing such harassment;

(4)  support for institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to develop, adapt, implement, and assess the impact of innovative, evidence-based strategies, policies, and approaches to policy implementation to prevent and address sex-based and sexual harassment;

(5)  research on alternatives to the power dynamics, hierarchical, and dependent relationships, including but not limited to the mentor-mentee relationship, in academia that have been shown to create higher levels of risk for and lower levels of reporting of sex- based and sexual harassment; and

(6)  establishing a center for the ongoing compilation, management, and analysis of organizational climate survey data.