(a) Participation in proposals and awards.

(1) For the purpose of determining whether an employee or a special Government employee, other than a Member of the National Science Board, should participate as part of his official duties in a proposal or award, the affiliations and relationships listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section shall be considered additional “covered relationships” for purposes of applying 5 CFR 2635.502. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, they shall be treated as disqualifying to the same extent as the covered relationships listed in 5 CFR 2635.502(b)(1).

(2) Where an affiliation or relationship is listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section as “automatically disqualifying,” an employee shall not participate in a proposal or award in which the institution or other person with whom the employee has a covered relationship is or represents a party unless participation is authorized in accordance with 5 CFR 2635.502(d) by the agency designee, with the concurrence of an ethics counselor in the Office of the General Counsel.

(3) An employee has a covered relationship, within the meaning of 5 CFR 2635.502(b)(1), with:

(i) An institution with which the employee is affiliated through:

(A) Membership on a visiting committee or similar body at the institution. The relationship is automatically disqualifying where the particular department, school, or faculty that the visiting committee or similar body advises originated the proposal or where a proposal from the department, school, or faculty formed the basis for the award;

(B) Current enrollment of the employee or a member of the employee's household as a student;

(C) Receipt and retention of an honorarium or other form of compensation, award, or off-duty travel payment from the institution within the last twelve months. The relationship is automatically disqualifying, unless the payment or award was received before beginning Government service; and

(ii) A person who is an investigator or project director on or who otherwise is identified in a proposal as a party to the proposal or award and with whom the employee has:

(A) A family relationship as sibling, parent, spouse, or child. Any such relationship is automatically disqualifying;

(B) Associated, in the past or currently, as thesis advisor or thesis student;

(C) Collaborated on a project, book, article, report, or paper within the last 48 months; or

(D) Co-edited a journal, compendium, or conference proceedings within the last 24 months.

(b) Reporting involvement of prospective, current, or recent employees.

(1) When an employee who is participating in a proposal or award becomes aware that a prospective, current, or recent NSF employee or current National Science Board member is or is likely to become a member of the research group or project staff under that proposal or award, the employee shall bring that circumstance to the attention of an agency designee. For purposes of this paragraph:

(i) A “recent NSF employee” is any former NSF employee who left the NSF within the year before submission of the proposal at issue or on which the award was based.

(ii) A “prospective NSF employee” is any person being recruited by an NSF official for a specific opening and from whom the official has received an indication of mutual interest. Such a person is a “prospective NSF employee” even though those recruiting have not extended an offer and even though the person might not accept an offer if it were extended.

(2) The agency designee shall review the circumstances to determine what action, if any, should be taken to assure that the proposal or award is administered impartially and otherwise in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including this part, 5 CFR part 2635, 18 U.S.C. 207 and 208, and 45 CFR part 680.