After much discussion with staff and other Federal agencies, I have developed principles to guide future CMHS honoraria practices. Enclosed please find our policy which will be reviewed in six months. I would like to again thank you for drawing our attention to this important issue and for the input you provided from other consumers and professional speakers. This policy provides guidance for awarding honoraria. This guidance applies to conferences for which CMHS is a major contributor.
Contracts already drafted are exempt.
Background A review performed of CMHS honoraria practices indicates that Divisions and Offices vary in recognizing speakers invited to make presentations at conferences for which CMHS is a major contributor. This guidance has been developed to assist project officers in applying consistency in awarding honoraria. Speakers may waive the honorarium if they are being paid for the time by their employer or for any other reason they deem appropriate.