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.
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.
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.
Section 9 - Activities of IEEE Organizational Units
