• Responsible Office: FAS Office of Finance/ SEAS Office of Accounting
• Effective Date:   July 1, 2017
• Revision Date:   April 24, 2017

Policy Statement and Reason for Policy

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) provide substantial academic facilities, including laboratories, libraries and information technologies, administrative support, and other resources that enable faculty to engage in innovative research and incomparable scholarly activities. The cost of providing the staffing and infrastructure necessary to support the programmatic activities of our faculty is borne largely by the FAS and SEAS; thus, it is critical that FAS and SEAS receive Read more about FAS and SEAS Policy on Assessments on Current Use Gifts and Sponsored Awards

1. With the acceptance of a full-time appointment in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, an individual makes a commitment to the University that is understood to be full-time in the most inclusive sense. Every member is expected to accord the University his or her primary professional loyalty, and to arrange outside obligations, financial interests, and activities so as not to conflict or interfere with this overriding Read more about Policies Relating to Research and Other Professional Activities Within and Outside the University

Principles governing commercial activities of Harvard University, with application to partnerships between the University and outside organizations

Harvard University is guided by the ethical principles regarding research involving human subjects set forth in the report of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research Read more about Statement of Policies and Procedures Governing the Use of Human Subjects in Research at Harvard University

Effective July 1, 2015, FAS will change the policy on faculty supplemental salary to simplify the process for faculty and administrators. Read more about FAS Supplemental Salary Payment Policy

This policy is intended to clarify when payments to fellows should be treated as gross income, as qualified payments for tuition or fees for a degree program, or as reimbursements for bona fide University business expenses that the individual incurred on Harvard’s behalf.

In 1974, a Report of a Committee on Criteria for Acceptance of Sponsored Research in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was presented to the Faculty. It consisted of a preamble, a set of principles governing the conduct of research, and commentary on these principles. Only the (italicized)

The complete and final proposal, accompanied by the necessary School-level approvals, as well as any other attachments or approvals required by the sponsor or the University, must be received by the submitting office at least five (5) full business days prior to the sponsor's due date. Read more about Proposal Submission Policy

For each sponsored award, it is customary to designate as PI one person who bears ultimate responsibility for academic decisions as well as for financial, administrative, and compliance matters relating to the project.  Only  teaching members of the Faculty and a select number of other academic appointees are accorded Principal Investigator rights and may seek external research support on a continuing basis.  Read more about Principal Investigator Eligibility

Voted by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, March 17, 1980 and amended on March 13, 2000, April 20, 2004, and December 2012 (superseding vote of September 14, 1964 and amendments thereafter).

1. Each professional research position shall be categorized as belonging

These University policies govern the use of the Harvard name when attached to an event, project or publication.

Investigators working with new sponsors should attempt to clarify whether funding will be made available to them in the form of a gift or a grant. Gifts and grants are handled by two separate Harvard units and each carry their own distinct sets of policies and procedures. Read more about Gift vs. Grant

The University provides schools with a set of guiding principles apply in order to ensure maximum indirect cost (IDC) recovery and consistent application of sponsor policy across Harvard. 
Read more about Principles for Applying Indirect Costs to Non-Federal Awards

This link provides Harvard University-specific guidelines for compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy