The National Science Foundation (NSF) has appointed Renée V. Ferranti as special assistant to the director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation.
In her new role, which she began on Nov. 5, Ferranti addresses agency-wide challenges and recommends organizational improvements. She coordinates cross-agency enterprises, advances policy, provides expert analysis on program issues, and evaluates prevention and response programs and procedures.
The creation of this position is the latest step in the agency’s efforts to combat sexual assault and harassment at institutions receiving NSF funds. In 2018, the NSF launched an anti-harassment initiative that requires awardee organizations to disclose incidents of sexual harassment involving NSF-funded principal investigators or co-principal investigators and to notify the NSF if these individuals are subject to administrative actions or are put on leave.
“I am honored to join NSF and contribute to the important work of sexual assault prevention and response,” said Ferranti in an NSF announcement last week. “I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to leveraging my expertise to make a meaningful impact to advance NSF’s progress in addressing sexual violence impacting members of the NSF community.”
Ferranti has a bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in psychology. She has served as the director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program with the Peace Corps since 2019. Prior to that, she worked for 15 years as a victim advocate, sexual assault response coordinator, and program manager within the U.S. Department of Defense SAPR program at multiple military installations. This experience, in addition to her military assignments and education, makes her an ideal candidate for this position, according to the NSF announcement.
“We are delighted to welcome Renée V. Ferranti to our team,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “She brings over 25 years of experience in sexual assault prevention and response, making her ideal for this critical role, as NSF continues to strengthen our efforts to promote safe research environments for all.”
Sexual harassment in scientific research has been a significant barrier for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), leading the U.S. Congress to take action. In 2019, the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act was enacted to support anti-harassment initiatives in STEM fields.
