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Reviewer Confidentiality

 

Statement of Confidentiality

These applications are to be considered confidential and it is important to respect the privacy of the applicants' ideas. Do not discuss the applications with anyone outside of the review panel. If consultation with an expert is appropriate, contact AUCD which can recruit an outside opinion and secure a signed conflict of interest form. We request that you destroy any documents that you print off these web pages immediately following our review session.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

Reviewers will be required to confirm their lack of conflict of interest during the review process.

Review panel members will not review applications in which they have a conflict of interest. For individuals serving as panel reviewers, the individual will be considered as having a conflict of interest in an application if that person:

  • Has encouraged submission of the application;
  • Provided technical assistance to the applicant in the preparation of the application or any other closely-related project;
  • Will serve as a project officer or technical liaison for the project;
  • Is a supervisor of anyone who is subject to one of the above-mentioned items.

An individual will also be considered as having a conflict of interest in an application if that person or his/her spouse, parent, minor child or partner:

  • Serves as an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee of the applicant, its parent or subsidiary organization;
  • Is negotiating (or has an arrangement concerning) prospective employment (or other similar association) with the applicant, its parent or subsidiary organization; or
  • Has a financial interest, within the meaning of 18 U.S.C.208, in the application or in the applicant, its parent, or subsidiary organization.

In addition, the following will also designate conflicts of interest:

  • Review panel members cannot serve on a panel if they have submitted an application to that panel;
  • Panel members cannot review applications from applicants with whom they have a close professional and/or institutional relationship;
  • Panel members cannot review applications for which the funding decision would directly effect them;
  • Panel members cannot review applications if they feel there may be perceptions of conflict. In these cases, the reviewers should notify AUCD, who will make the final decision.