Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Nonfederal Government Individuals Who Are Candidates to Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the OMB Peer Review Bulletin

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide guidance to enhance the practice of peer review of government science documents: OMB’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review (“Peer Review Bulletin” or PRB) which establishes minimum peer review standards for influential scientific information that federal agencies intend to disseminate. The PRB also directs federal agencies to adopt or adapt the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) policy for evaluating conflicts of interest when selecting peer reviewers who are not federal government employees (federal employees are subject to federal ethics requirements which address conflict of interest). For peer review purposes, the term “conflict of interest” means any financial or other interest which conflicts with the service of the individual because it could: (1) significantly impair the individual’s objectivity; or (2) create an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization. NOAA has adapted the NAS policy and developed two confidential conflict of interest disclosure forms which the agency will use to examine prospective reviewers’ potential financial conflicts and other interests that could impair objectivity or create an unfair advantage. One form is for peer reviewers of studies related to government regulation and the second form is for peer reviewers of any other influential scientific information subject to the Peer Review Bulletin. The forms include questions about employment as well as investment and property interests and research funding. All three forms also require the submission of a curriculum vitae (CV).

The latest form for Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Nonfederal Government Individuals Who Are Candidates to Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the OMB Peer Review Bulletin expires 2021-01-31 and can be found here.