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Policy on Outside Activities

Postdoc involvement in outside activities, notably consulting, is subject to the following requirements:

  • Informing your PI/Faculty Mentor. If needed, ascertain with your PI/Faculty Mentor that the terms of the grant that may be covering your salary/stipend do not preclude you from engaging in consulting activities.
     
  • Consulting agreement: Must include a signed copy of the Harvard consulting addendum, which should then be uploaded into OAIR when reporting the relationship.
     
  • No use of Harvard resources: No Harvard facilities or other resources may be used in doing outside consulting work, and this work must be done a postdoc's own personal time.
     
  • Cannot engage in consulting activities during Harvard 100% appointment on sponsored awards. If the postdoc is expending 100% of their effort on sponsored awards, they may not have time to engage in outside activities. This is a red flag for federal agencies.
     
  • Update Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure: If in the reporting population (e.g., NIH or NSF “investigators”), postdocs will need to update their disclosure in Harvard's compliance system, OAIR, to include consulting effort and salary.
     
  • COI management plan if engaged with faculty member’s startup company: The COI management plan requires the Divisional Dean’s signature as well as a disclosure to lab members/peers.

    Visa considerations in the case of international postdocs. Please check with HIO advisor to make sure the consulting activities are not in contravention of the terms of your visa.