Policies and guidelines

Harvard Chan School policy on conflicts of interest

To fully understand their obligations related to conflicts of interest, research scientists should consult the school’s policy found on the Harvard Chan School website. This policy is intended to serve as a guide for Harvard Chan School appointees in structuring their relationships with industry and other outside ventures in view of their academic responsibilities.

Harvard Chan School policy on outside professional activities

Research scientists should also be advised that permission to undertake outside activities such as consulting must be sought from and given by the research scientist’s department chair or supervisor.  At the beginning of each calendar year, research scientists will be informed if they are required to report on their outside professional activities and financial interests.  Further, the school’s grants administration officers must confirm that a current disclosure form has been submitted by each investigator, whether full- or part-time at the school, before signing off on a submitted proposal for federal funding.  Finally, if the research scientist’s department or program has additional reporting requirements, they will be informed of those requirements by the department or program.

Scientists and PI eligibility for IRB

On this page, we provide guidance for Research Scientists who have questions about their eligibility as Principal Investigators (PIs) for IRB Review purposes.  If you have general questions about the IRB process or how to get an application started, please refer to the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance (ORARC) website for more complete information.

PI eligibility

All Research Scientists are eligible to serve as PI for projects that are determined as “non-human subjects research” or “exempt.”

The vast majority of Research Scientists are also eligible to serve as PI for projects that are determined as “Expedited” or “Convened.”

The PI eligibility policy is described here.

A summary of the relevant text is: A Principal Investigator (PI) for non-exempt Human Research must be a Harvard LMA School faculty member, e.g., professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, PI-eligible research scientist. This requirement does not preclude any non-faculty member from being listed as a Co-Investigator on the project, or having certain research responsibilities delegated to them, but they are not eligible to be named as PI nor assume ultimate responsibility for the assurances listed in Appendix C.

The specific criterion for being PI-eligible at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is being employed at 25% or more FTE. A list of such Research Scientists is provided by the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) to the IRB team in ORARC.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, you can still become a PI by completing an exception form. More about this process is available here.

Onsite reviews for PIs

Research Scientists who are PIs do not face any special requirements for onsite visits or other reviews, as separate from faculty or other PIs.  However, if conducting non-exempt human subjects research, ALL first-time PIs and ALL PIs who went through the exception process must participate in an onsite review done by the Quality Improvement Program (QIP) within ORARC.

• Abusive and/or Intimidating Behavior Policy
• Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression 
• Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity: Harvard University selects and promotes staff and faculty without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, gender identity, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military service, genetic information, or other protected status unrelated to job requirements. Each year, the President and Fellows of Harvard College reaffirm Harvard’s commitment to affirmative action and equal employment opportunity in this statement. For information on how to address an experience of discrimination, please review the Discrimination Policy and Review Procedure or consider using the Bias-Related Incident Reporting system. 
• Authorship Guidelines
• ChatGPT/Generative AI
• Communications Resources for Faculty
• Conduct
• Disability Resources
• Discrimination Resources
• Drug and Alcohol Policy
• Financial Conflicts of Interest (fCOI) and Outside Activities & Interests Reporting (OAIR)
• Financial Policies: Harvard Chan School OFS (pin-protected) and Harvard Financial Policy Office
• For-Profit Entity Sponsored Events
• Intellectual Property
• Outside Academic Activities
• PI Eligibility Policy
• Harvard Sponsored Role (HSR) Policy
• Research Misconduct Allegations
• Social Media Guidelines – School
• Student Related Policies
• Teaching Eligibility
• Teaching and Research Funds Policy (PDF)
• Title IX: Harvard University Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Related Procedures
• Title IX: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Policy and Procedures
• Tobacco-Related Companies Policy: The Faculty of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health voted on January 24, 2002, not to accept any grant or anything else of value from any tobacco manufacturer, distributor, or other tobacco-related company. The list of such companies has been provided by the American Legacy Foundation.
• Unprofessional Relationships and Abuse of Authority
• Use of Harvard Names and Insignias (revised 8/18/2008)
• Use of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Name and Shield by Units of the School (PDF)
• A listing of university-wide policies and guidelines on a variety of subjects is available on the Provost’s Office website.