Below is some important information regarding: Managing conflict of interest in NIH peer review of grants and contracts per the
National Institutes of Health's website.
If John is a paid employee of Science University, which has
submitted a research application to NIH, can he serve on the panel that
reviews the application? Since John has a conflict of interest with
the application, he may not review that particular application and will
have to be out of the room during the discussion and evaluation of
that application, but may serve on the panel to review other
applications.
The core values of impartiality, fairness, and integrity are fundamental to the
NIH peer review process.
NIH Scientific Review Officers (SROs) spend considerable time and
energy identifying appropriate reviewers and managing reviewer
conflicts of interest (COI).
Application of the Rules
The rules for managing COI addressed on this page apply to peer reviewers participating in:
- initial peer review for all types of grant programs, with the exception of construction grants, and
- peer review of proposals for Research and Development (R & D) contracts.
When does COI arise?
What are the types of conflicts that raise red flags? Check out the
many types below. Note that COI is handled differently for reviewers of
grants and R&D contracts.
- Direct financial benefit: A reviewer may not
serve on a particular study section if he/she or his/her close relative
could receive direct benefit from any application or proposal reviewed
in that study section's meeting.
- Indirect financial benefit: A reviewer may not
serve on a particular study section if he/she or his/her close relative
could receive indirect financial benefit, from any of the multiple
Program Directors/Principal Investigators with applications or
proposals in the meeting, that in the aggregate exceed $10,000 per
year.
- Major professional roles: A reviewer may not
serve on a particular study section if he or she is contributing to the
scientific development or execution of any project under review in the
meeting in a substantive, measurable way (Senior/Key Personnel,
Project/Site/Core Directors, Other Significant Contributors,
collaborators, and consultants).
- Employment: A reviewer who is a salaried, full
or part-time employee of any of the multiple Program Directors/Principal
Investigators, or any of the institutions submitting an application or
proposal:
- May not participate in the evaluation of that grant application, or
- May not serve on the study section evaluating that contract proposal.
- Professional Associates: A reviewer whose
professional associate (colleague, scientific mentor, student,
collaborator, etc., within the last three years) plays a major
professional role:
- On a grant application may not participate in the evaluation of that application.
- On an R&D contract proposal may not serve on the study section evaluating that proposal.
- Appearance of a COI: Any situation that could
cause a reasonable person with all the relevant facts to question the
impartiality of the reviewer or that leads a reviewer to question his
or her objectivity means that the reviewer:
- May not participate in the evaluation of that grant application.
- May not serve on the study section where that R&D contract proposal is evaluated.
- Study section membership: An application from a member of a study section that meets regularly may not be reviewed by that member's study section.
- Applications in response to a Request for Applications (RFA):
An individual who is listed on an application submitted to an RFA with
a major professional role may not serve on a study section evaluating
any applications from that same RFA.
Certifying COI
Each NIH peer reviewer must certify, under penalty of perjury (US
Code Title 18 chapter 47 section 1001), that to the best of his or her
knowledge he/she has disclosed all conflicts of interest that he or she
may have with the applications or R&D contract proposals; he or she
fully understands the confidential nature of the review process and
agrees:
(1) to destroy or return all materials related to it;
(2) not to disclose or discuss the materials associated with the
review, the evaluation, or the review meeting with any other individual
except as authorized by the Scientific Review Officer (SRO) or other
designated NIH official;
(3) not to disclose procurement information prior to the award of a contract; and
(4) to refer all inquiries concerning the review to the SRO or other designated NIH official.
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Contact information:
