IEEE Policies



Section 9 - Activities of IEEE Organizational Units


  9.8   Conflict of Interest

  1. Definition.  Conflict of interest is defined as any situation in which a member’s decisions or votes could substantially and directly affect the member’s professional, personal, financial or business interests.
     
  2. Responsibility.  It is the responsibility of all IEEE members in any elected, appointed, or other decision-making position of an IEEE activity to consider each item of business where they have a vote or decision-making authority to determine if a real or perceived conflict of interest may exist. Any such recognized conflict shall be disclosed in writing immediately to the person in charge of the activity (or the next higher authority if the member is in charge) who, after consultation with other individuals in the activity, shall advise the member of the proper course of action and cause a notation of the action to be entered in the activity’s record. A copy of the disclosure statement shall be reviewed by the Audit Committee.

  3. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement.  IEEE members or non-members in an elected or appointed position and volunteers, editors and others involved in making procurement decisions or other activities that could represent a potential conflict of interest as determined by the IEEE Audit Committee shall submit annually a completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement to the Director, Operations Audit, at the Operations Center.  Forms shall be on file within 30 days of assuming his/her position or, in the case of elected positions, within 30 days of acceptance of the nomination, or as otherwise determined by the IEEE Audit Committee.  The IEEE staff shall notify every individual requested to file a Conflict of Interest of the applicable deadline. Failure to submit a form shall result in automatic removal from service on the committee, board or election slate, as the case may be. It shall be the responsibility of the Board or Committee Chair or, in the case of nominations, the Chair of the appropriate nominations committee to inform such individuals that they have been removed from service or an election slate, as the case may be, for failure to complete the form and to notify the IEEE Audit Committee of such action. The IEEE Audit Committee shall notify the IEEE Board of Directors of all individuals removed from service or an election slate, as the case may be, at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. 

    Staff who have authority to make or incur financial expenditures or who have other responsibilities that could represent a potential conflict of interest as determined by the Audit Committee shall submit a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement by 1 February of each year.
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