Commitment to Safety and Offering a Respectful Environment
The Symposium Chair and Co-Chairs, as well as the Organizing Committee, are committed to upholding the highest standards and expectations of behavior to provide a safe environment to allow all individuals (regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, or any other protected categories under applicable law) to fully participate, be respected in their persons and their rights of expression, and feel comfortable in exchanging their scientific ideas.
Expectations of behavior
| Acceptable behaviors include: | Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to: |
| Be considerate of those around you | Verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion |
| Be respectful of others and their viewpoints that may be different from your own | Sustained disruption of talks or other events |
| Be collaborative with others | Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following |
| Be mindful of your words and actions | Inappropriate photography or recording |
| Sexual images in public spaces | |
| Inappropriate physical contact | |
| Unwelcome sexual attention | |
| Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior | |
Confidentially report alleged violations of the expectations of behavior
Individuals can anonymously report alleged violations of the expectations of behavior to Conference Organizers via a secure email address – – which is also posted on the conference website. Symposium Organizers will review any reports of unacceptable behavior and conduct interviews of the reportee and witnesses to the event(s).
How the organizers will 1) assess allegations and 2) impose consequences for those who are found to violate the expectations of behavior
Any event will be determined to be “non-hostile” or “hostile”. The response to hostile speech and behavior will be based on the following recommendations:
1) A first event will require discussion/corrective action; the discussion will be led by the Symposium Organizers to convey that such behavior is not acceptable.
2) A second event or event of a most serious nature; will lead to expulsion from the conference and may, at the discretion of the Symposium Organizers, also be referred to local authorities.
Contact information for questions, concerns, or complaints related to harassment or safety
| Symposium Organizers | Dr. Corinna (Cory) Ross, Chair Dr. Riti Sharan, Co-Chair Nicole Foy, VP, Corporate Communications Angelica Olmo-Fontanez, PhD, Staff Scientist I Guillermo Siller, SNPRC Assistant Director Helen Hawn, SNPRC Office Manager Donna Musselman, Meetings Manager |
| U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) | 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 Toll-free: (800) 368-1019 TDD toll-free: (800) 537-7697 Email: |
| File a Civil Rights Complaint* | HHS OCR online portal: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ * Submitting a report through the ASB reporting system or filing a complaint with the Conference Organizers is not required before filing a complaint of discrimination with HHS OCR, and seeking assistance from the Conference Organizer in no way prohibits filing complaints with HHS OCR. |
| Notify National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Find help: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment/find-help.htm Notify NIH: https://public.era.nih.gov/shape/public/notificationForm.era |