- (iii) The applicant for the grant/award is anemployee or employer of an individual involved in the process as a Reviewer or Committee Member; or if the applicant to the grant/award has had an employer-employee relationship in the past three years with that individual.
- (iv) The applicant to the grant/award belongs to the same Department as that of the Reviewer/Committee Member.
- (v) The Reviewer/Committee Member is a Head of an Organization from where the applicant is employed.
- (vi) The Reviewer /Committee Member is or was, associated in the professional career of the applicant (such as Ph.D. supervisor, Mentor, present Collaborator etc.)
- (vii) The Reviewer/Committee Member is involved in the preparation of the research proposal submitted by the applicant.
- (viii) The applicant has joint research publications with the Reviewer/Committee Member in the last three years.
- (ix) The applicant/Reviewer/Committee Member, in contravention to the accepted norms and ethics followed in scientific research has a direct/indirect financial interest in the outcomes of the proposal.
- (x) The Reviewer/Committee Member stands to gain personally should the submitted proposal be accepted or rejected.

# The Term 'Relative' for this purpose would be referred in section 6 of Companies Act , 1956.

- 3. Regulation :

The DST shall strive to avoid conflict of interest in its funding mechanisms to the maximum extent possible. Self-regulatory mode is however recommended for stake holders involved in scientific research and research management, on issues pertaining to Conflict of Interest and scientific ethics. Any disclosure pertaining to the same must be made voluntarily by the applicant/Reviewer/Committee Member.

- 4. Confidentiality :

The Reviewers and the Members of the Committee shall safeguard the confidentiality of all discussions and decisions taken during the process and shall refrain from discussing the same with any applicant or a third party, unless the Committee recommends otherwise and records for doing so.

- 5. Code of Conduct

########## 5.1 To be followed by Reviewers/Committee Members :

- (a) All reviewers shall submit a conflict of interest statement, declaring the presence or absence of any form of conflict of interest.
- (b) The reviewers shall refrain from evaluating the proposals if the conflict of interest is established or if it is apparent.
- (c) All discussions and decisions pertaining to conflict of interest shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
- (d) The Chairman of the Committee shall decide on all aspects pertaining to conflict of interests.
- (e) The Chairman of the Committee shall request that all members disclose if they have any conflict of interest in the items of the agenda scheduled for discussion.
- (f) The Committee Members shall refrain from participating in the decision making process and leave the room with respect to the specific item where the conflict of interest is established or is apparent.
- (g) If the Chairman himself/herself has conflict of interest, the Committee may choose a Chairman from among the remaining members, and the decision shall be made in consultation with Member Secretary of the Committee.
- (h) It is expected that a Committee member including the Chair-person will not seek funding from a Committee in which he/she is a member. If any member applies for grant, such proposals will be evaluated separately outside the Committee in which he/she is a member.

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