Code of Conduct

The general principle is that those involved in an assessment procedure or decision-making process of research grants do not disclose or share information that has been made available to them. Those involved in an assessment procedure are expected not to make use of the information provided in the applications for their own, personal or corporate profit or advantage. It is not allowed to share information about the outcome of the assessment procedure with stakeholders on the outcome of this procedure.

Reviewers assess a grant application anonymously. This anonymity will be monitored by the Dutch Heart Foundation. Reviewers will not contact the (co-)applicants or other reviewers when reviewing an application. This, to achieve maximum objectivity and independence in the scientific assessment.

Committee members are not allowed to contact the (co)-applicants when reviewing an application. This, to achieve maximum objectivity and independence in the assessment procedure. The meetings of the committees are confidential: during meetings members can freely express their expert opinion on projects. Members of the committee are expected not to disclose or share information about these meetings and the matters discussed there. Together with the chairman, the Dutch Heart Foundation monitors the confidential nature of the meeting.

Members of the SAB are expected to handle procedures and documents confidentially. SAB members know which reviewer assesses a particular project, and thus are expected not to inform fellow committee members, applicants or third parties. They also observe the foregoing on "Committee members" and "Reviewers".

Employees of the Dutch Heart Foundation handle personal and confidential information of applicants, members of (Dekker) committees, the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC), the Dutch Scientific Advisory Board (WAR), the Committee Societal Quality (CSQ), reviewers with care, both within and outside of work. Information about applications and projects as well as knowledge of policy is only used for the performance of their own work and not for other purposes.

Those involved in a procedure are obliged to be transparent about (possible) conflicts of interest and about the (possible) appearance of conflict of interest. The Dutch Heart Foundation takes appropriate measures to prevent improper influencing of advice- or decision-making. All those involved in decision-making procedures have to ascertain whether they are in any way biased in favour or against any of the applications, and whether they are in any way (personally) involved regarding any of the applications or applicants. In case any form of involvement appears, the Dutch Heart Foundation has to be formed immediately and prior to the advice- or assessment procedure. In case this form of involvement is revealed during the advice- or assessment procedure, the chair of the committee and the secretary of the Dutch Heart Foundation should be informed immediately.

The following list describes different forms of conflict of interest, and the applicable consequences;

• Committee members are excluded from participation in an advisory- or assessment procedure, in case they;
  • are (co-)applicant within the same assessment procedure;
  • are signer of the application, or contributed in any way to the assessment and/or decision making in creation of the application;
  • have a joint household and/or are partner in any kind with the applicant;
  • have a family relationship with the applicant or co-applicant (up to and including the 3rd degree);
     
• Committee members are excluded from participation in the advisory- or assessment procedure of a particular application, will not be present in the room during the presentation and discussion, and will not score the applicant during the advisory- or assessment procedure, in case they;
  • are supervisor, project leader, work package leader, (consortium)leader, advisor of (a project of) the applicant or contributed in any form to a project of the applicant;
  • provided a letter or statement of support for an application;
  • are manager (dean, director, member of the supervisory board) of a faculty, organizational unit, research school or -institute.
  • supervised the applicant (less than five years) and/or published together (less than three years)
  • are biased in an assessment procedure, or in case appearance of conflict of interest occurs, which encompasses that they;
    • are biased regarding a specific application or in case appearance of bias occurs, which results in a loss of impartiality;
    • are involved in an application that shows resemblance with another application;
  • are employees of the same organizational unit (department, research school) as the applicant and publish in the same discipline as the applicant.
     
• Committee members are excluded from being pre-evaluator and being the person that asks the first question in case the applicant is being interviewed, in case they;
  • are employees of the same institute, organizational unit, or the same organization (if this organization holds no divisions) as the applicant and they do not publish in the same field as the applicant.

Committee members of assessment procedures of the Dutch Heart Foundation are bound to the Code of Conduct on Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests. Committee members are ought to hand in the Form Code of Conduct on Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests, in which they state to adhere to this code, as soon as possible after being appointed and prior to start of the assessment procedure.

Committee members and members of the SAB sign a declaration upon appointment, in which they state that they adhere to this code of conduct. Prior to an advisory- or assessment procedure, the Dutch Heart Foundation reminds committee members and members of the SAB of the code of conduct and involved committee members must report any potential conflicts of interest. Individual responsibility lies with committee members or members of the SAB, according to the Code of Conduct on Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests, to prevent improper influencing of the advisory- or assessment procedure by conflict of interest.

The Dutch Heart Foundation will ask reviewers in advance whether they are involved in any way in the application to be assessed. In the review form the reviewer declares to have taken notice of the Code of Conduct on Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests and will adhere to it.

Employees of the Dutch Heart Foundation declare in their employment agreement that they agree to adhere to the General Terms and Conditions of Employment, which include provisions on confidentiality and conflicts of interest that are in line with the Code of Conduct on Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests.

In case the form of conflict of interest is minimal or not relevant, it could be motivated to deviate from (part(s) of) the consequences described in the section Conflict of interest. The final responsibility on application of the neutralizing measures lies with the Dutch Heart Foundation, whilst the final decision has been reached in concurrence with the chair of the committee concerned. In case neutralized arrangements are performed, it is at least required that all involved committee members hand in an explicit declaration that they, despite the determined involvement, can guarantee there is no conflict of interest.

If a person does not adhere to this code of conduct, the chairman of the committee or a member of the management team / the director of the Dutch Heart Foundation will discuss this with the person involved. Reviewers will receive a written warning. If the (appearance of) conflict of interest occurs during an advisory- or assessment procedure, input or assessment that has already been given, will be ignored during the rest of the advisory- and/or assessment procedure. In addition, the Dutch Heart Foundation can take the following actions in response to violation of this code of conduct:

1. Exclusion from the committee or SAB;
2. Exclusion as reviewer, possibly also for future procedures;
3. Exclusion from applying for future research grants.