(a) Prohibited outside employment and activities.

(1) An NSF employee may not receive, directly or indirectly, any salary, consulting fee, honorarium, or other form of compensation for services, or reimbursement of expenses, from an NSF award.

(2) An NSF employee may not serve as principal investigator or project director under an NSF award.

(3) An NSF employee may not receive, directly or indirectly, any honorarium or any other form of compensation, or reimbursement of expenses from anyone, other than the United States, for participating in an event supported by NSF funds.

(b) Prior approval of outside employment and activities.

(1) An employee shall obtain written approval from an agency designee before:

(i) Engaging in compensated outside employment with any person or institution (including any for-profit, non-profit, or governmental organization) which does business or may reasonably be expected to do business with the NSF. For these purposes, “employment” means any form of non-Federal employment or business relationship involving the provision of personal services by the employee. It includes, but is not limited to, personal services as an officer, director, employee, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, general partner, trustee, teacher, or speaker. It includes writing when done under an arrangement for publication of the written product; or

(ii) Serving, with or without compensation, on a visiting committee with any institution that does business or may reasonably be expected to do business with NSF.

(2) In addition to any prior approval required in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, an employee shall obtain prior written approval:

(i) From an ethics counselor in the Office of the General Counsel before participating, with or without compensation, as a policymaking officer of any research or educational institution or any scientific society or professional association; and

(ii) From his Assistant Director or Office head before serving in a personal capacity as an organizer, director, proceedings editor, or session chairperson for a conference, workshop, or similar event supported by NSF funds, or before presenting a paper at such an event.

(3) The approvals required by paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section shall be granted only upon a determination by the appropriate NSF official that the outside employment or activity is not expected to involve conduct prohibited by statute or Federal regulations, including 5 CFR part 2635 and this part.