Conflict of Interest Policy –
LEO Foundation Grants

The LEO Foundation aim to ensure that rules and principles of eligibility are adhered to.

These principles describe the policy for legal capacity and conflict of interests in connection with handling applications and granted projects in the Foundation.

The rules apply to members of LEO Foundation’s Board of Trustees, members of the Foundation’s commitees and employees of the LEO Foundation.

1. INELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE GRANTS

The following are not eligible to receive grants from the LEO Foundation:

  • Employees of the LEO Group
  • Members of the LEO Foundation Board of Trustees, their spouses, and children residing in the family home
  • Members of the Foundation’s evaluation committees *

2.INELIGIBILITY TO ASSESS APPLICATIONS

Any member of the Foundation’s committees shall be disqualified from assessing an application if the member has a personal, professional or financial interest in the outcome of an application.

Committee members are generally prohibited from participating in assessing applications from applicants with whom they have had a scientific collaboration within the previous 5 years. However, all such cases shall be evaluated by the Chair of the Foundation’s Grant Committee, who determines whether the collaboration constitutes a conflict of interest.

3. PROCEDURE IN CASE OF INELIGIBILITY

The following procedure applies in case of ineligibility:

  • Committee members shall notify the Foundation’s Chief Grant Officer of any ineligibility or potential conflict of interest within 10 working days after receiving the application(s) to be assessed.
  • If a BoT member has a potential conflict of interest in connection with an application that is to be assessed, the Chairman of the BoT shall decide whether the conflict of interest disqualifies the member.
  • The following consequences will apply in case of breach of the LEO Foundation Conflict of Interest policy:
    • The evaluation of the application shall be repeated and processed by the relevant committee or review board without the influence of disqualified members in the same way as if the ineligibility rules had not been breached.
    • All cases of breach of this policy shall be reported to the Chairmanship of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

* However, external committee members may serve as applicants, co-applicants, collaborative partners or advisers on an application submitted to a committee other than the one(s) they serve on.