Conflict-of-Interest and Confidentiality Certification F

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Conflict-of-Interest and Confidentiality Guidelines
AS A REVIEWER, PLEASE REVIEW THESE GUIDELINES PERIODICALLY DURING YOUR SERVICE

CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST GUIDELINES
You must disqualify yourself as a reviewer of an application if you have had one of the following
relationships with the Project Director (PD) or other key personnel listed in the application:


Have been a thesis or postdoctoral advisee/advisor;



Have been a co-author on a publication within the past three years, including pending
publications and submissions;



Have been a collaborator on a project within the past three years, including current and
planned collaborations;



For someone in your field, have had a consulting/financial arrangement/other conflict-ofinterest in the past three years including receiving compensation of any type (e.g.,
money, goods or services);



Are from the same institution, had previous employment with the institution within the
past 12 months, or are being considered for employment at the institution;



Have a known family relationship such as a spouse, child, sibling, or parent, or other
relationship, such as a close personal friendship, that you think might tend to affect your
judgment or be seen as doing so by a reasonable person familiar with the relationship.

If you encounter a situation about which you are uncertain, please bring it to the attention of the
NIFA National Program Leader for a decision.
If you determine that you have a conflict of interest, or an appearance of a conflict, and, therefore,
are unable to review an application which you have been assigned, please notify the NIFA
National Program Leader immediately and destroy all printed and electronic materials related to
the application.
Failure to identify a conflict of interest may subject you to administrative sanction, i.e., removal
from review of the application and/or disqualification from involvement in future reviews.

CONFIDENTIALITY GUIDELINES
While the content of applications is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), reviewers
should not disclose information contained in applications as it is the role of the Department of
Agriculture, not the reviewer, to determine whether such information is releasable pursuant to the
FOIA. For this reason, confidentiality must be maintained--therefore please DO NOT copy,
quotes, or otherwise use material from this application. If you believe that a colleague can make a
substantial contribution to the review, consult with the NIFA National Program Leader before
disclosing either the contents of the application or the applicant's name. When you complete the
review, please destroy the application and maintain its confidentiality. If you are unable to review,
please contact the respective NIFA National Program Leader, destroy the application and
maintain its confidentiality.
Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information may subject you to administrative sanction,
i.e., removal from review of the application and/or disqualification from involvement in future
reviews.

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Conflict-of-Interest and Confidentiality Certification Form for NIFA Panelists
1. Your Potential Conflicts-of-Interest
Your designation as a NIFA panelist requires that you be aware of potential conflict situations that may arise. Read the
examples of potentially biasing affiliations or relationships listed on the Conflict-of-Interest and Confidentiality Guidelines.
As a NIFA panelist, you will be asked to review grant applications. You might have a conflict, or an appearance of a
conflict, with one or more. Should any conflict arise, you must bring the matter to the attention of the National Program
Leader. This official will determine how the matter should be handled and will tell you what further steps, if any, to take.
Failure to identify a conflict of interest may subject you to administrative sanction, i.e., removal from review of the
application and/or disqualification from involvement in future reviews.
2. No Use of “Insider” Information
If your designation gives you access to information not generally available to the public, you must not use that information
for your personal benefit or make it available for the personal benefit of any other individual or organization. This is to be
distinguished from the entirely appropriate general benefit of learning more about NIFA, learning from other panel
members, or becoming better acquainted with the state of a given discipline.
3. Your Obligation to Maintain the Confidentiality of Applications or Applicants.
While the content of the applications is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), reviewers should not disclose
information contained in the applications as it is the role of USDA, not the reviewer, to determine whether such information
is releasable pursuant to the FOIA. For this reason, confidentiality must be maintained – therefore please DO NOT copy,
quote, or otherwise use material from any application you are asked to review. When you complete the review, please
destroy the application and maintain its confidentiality.
Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information may subject you to administrative sanction, i.e., removal from review
of the application and/or disqualification from involvement in future reviews.
4. Confidentiality of the Review Process and Reviewer Names
NIFA keeps reviews and your identity as a reviewer of a specific application confidential to the maximum extent possible,
except that reviews are routinely sent to project directors of their own application without your name, affiliation or other
identifying information. It is critical that you respect the confidentiality of all project directors and/or other reviewers. Do
not disclose their identities, the relative assessments or rankings of applications by a peer review panel, or other details
about the peer review of applications.
YOUR CERTIFICATION
Your Potential Conflicts
I have read the list of affiliations and relationships that could prevent my participation in matters involving such individuals
or institutions. To the best of my knowledge, I have no affiliation or relationship that would prevent me from performing
my panel duties. Where there is an appearance or actual conflict-of-interest, I will recuse myself from the review of the
application or be granted an appropriate waiver.
Maintaining the Confidentiality of Others
I will not divulge or use any confidential information, described above, that I may become aware of during my service.
Your Identity as a Reviewer Will Be Kept Confidential
I understand my identity as a reviewer of specific application(s) will be kept confidential to the maximum extent possible,
except that copies of written reviews that I submit will be sent to the Project Director(s) without my name and affiliation.

Panel Member’s Name (Please Print) __________________________________________________________________

Panel Member’s Signature _______________________________________________ Date _______________________

Name of Panel ____________________________________________________________________________________