The Research Fieldwork Safety Program (RFSP) is a collaborative initiative aimed at providing UNH researchers with the resources, training, and support needed to conduct safe and inclusive fieldwork. This program is the culmination of grassroots efforts within the research community to mitigate risks researchers face while performing off-campus fieldwork.
The RFSP will assist researchers in creating safety plans to address safety issues associated with field research and offer new training for field scientists on prevention of interpersonal violence, bias, and harassment. Field researchers face varied and complex working conditions that expose them to acute risks from the natural environment to risks of unwelcome and harmful interpersonal interactions. To this end, the RFSP has partnered with the Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) to develop a comprehensive training suite focused on interpersonal violence, bias, and harassment prevention in fieldwork spaces.
In partnership with the RFSP, UNH has created the Research Fieldwork Safety Committee (RFSC) which is broadly responsible for the policies and programs developed to support the safety of researchers in off-campus or off-site research settings. This committee, which meets monthly during the academic year, is made up of UNH researchers and other interested parties within UNH (PIRC, SHARPP, REEO) to address fieldwork safety needs of the university community.
Fieldwork safety planning in research proposals
As of January 30, 2023, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released new proposal requirements that include a policy regarding