- 2.4 Conflict of Interest

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

######### POLICY ONCONFLICT OF INTEREST

######### FOR APPLICANT

Issues of Conflicts of Interest and ethics in scientific research and research management have assumed greater prominence, given the larger share of Government funding in the country's R & D scenario. The following policy pertaining to general aspects of Conflicts of Interest and code of ethics, are objective measures that is intended to protect the integrity of the decision making processes and minimize biasness. The policy aims to sustain transparency, increase accountability in funding mechanisms and provide assurance to the general public that processes followed in award of grants are fair and non-discriminatory. The Policy aims to avoid all forms of bias by following a system that is fair, transparent and free from all influence/ unprejudiced dealings, prior to, during and subsequent to the currency of the programme to be entered into with a view to enable public to abstain from bribing or any corrupt practice in order to secure the award by providing assurance to them that their competitors will also refrain from bribing and other corrupt practice and the decision makers will commit to prevent corruption, in any form, by their officials by following transparent procedures. This will also ensure a global acceptance of the decision making process adopted by DST.

Definition of Conflict of Interest :

Conflict of Interest means "any interest which could significantly prejudice an individual's objectivity in the decision making process, thereby creating an unfair competitive advantage for the individual or to the organization which he/she represents". The Conflict of Interest also encompasses situations where an individual, in contravention to the accepted norms and ethics, could exploit his/her obligatory duties for personal benefits.

1. Coverage of the Policy :

- a) provisions of the policy shall be followed by persons applying for and receiving funding from a) provisions of the policy shall be followed by persons applying for and receiving funding from DST, Reviewers of the proposal and Members of Expert Committees and Programme Advisory

Committees. The provisions of the policy will also be applicable on all individuals including Officers of DST connected directly or indirectly or through intermediaries and Committees involved in evaluation of proposals and subsequent decision making process.

- b) policy aims to minimize aspects that may constitute actual Conflict of Interests, apparent b) policy aims to minimize aspects that may constitute actual Conflict of Interests, apparent Conflict of Interests and potential Conflict of Interests in the funding mechanisms that are presently being operated by DST. The policy also aims to cover, although not limited to, Conflict of interests that are Financial (gains from the outcomes of the proposal or award), Personal (association of relative / Family members) and Institutional (Colleagues, Collaborators, Employer, persons associated in a professional career of an individual such as Ph.D. supervisor etc.)
- 2. Specifications as to what constitutes Conflict of Interest .

Any of the following specifications (non-exhaustive list) imply Conflict of Interest if,

- (i) to any reason by which the Reviewer/Committee Member cannot deliver fair and objective (i) to any reason by which the Reviewer/Committee Member cannot deliver fair and objective assessment of the proposal.
- (ii) applicant is a directly relative# or family member (including but not limited to spouse, child, (ii) applicant is a directly relative# or family member (including but not limited to spouse, child, sibling, parent) or personal friend of the individual involved in the decision making process or alternatively, if any relative of an Officer directly involved in any decision making process / has influenced interest/ stake in the applicant's form etc..
- (iii) applicant for the grant/award is an employee or employer of an individual involved in the (iii) applicant for the grant/award is an employee or employer of an individual involved in the process as a Reviewer or Committee Member; or if the applicant to the grant/awardhas had an employer-employee relationship in the past three years with that individual.
- (iv) applicant to the grant/award belongs to the same Department as that of the (iv) applicant to the grant/award belongs to the same Department as that of the Reviewer/Committee Member.