Compliance- Requirements under the Stimulus Act

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Compliance- Requirements under the Stimulus Act

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training required by NIH and NSF

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training course is now required by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for all undergraduates, graduates and post-doctoral researchers working on an NSF grant with a proposal date of 1/4/2010 or later.  The institution is responsible  to document that this requirement is being met.  The National Science Foundation's RCR Training FAQ link is provided for clarification of who this requirement affects.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research (RCR).RCR training link.

Whistleblower Protection Under the Recovery Act

Section 1553 of Division A, Title XV of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, provides protections for certain individuals who make specific disclosures about uses of Recovery Act funds.

Who is protected?

Employees of non-federal employers receiving Recovery funds, including:

  • State and local governments
  • Contractors
  • Subcontractors
  • Grantees
  • Professional membership organizations acting in the interest of Recovery fund recipients

What are whistleblowers protected from?

Being discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure.

What kinds of disclosures are protected?

To be protected, the disclosure must be made by the employee to one of the following:

  • The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
  • An Inspector General
  • The Comptroller General of the United States
  • A member of Congress
  • A state or federal regulatory or law enforcement agency
  • A person with supervisory authority over the employee
  • A court or grand jury
  • The head of a federal agency or his/her representatives

What must the disclosure include?

The disclosure must include evidence of one of the following:

  • Gross mismanagement of a Recovery contract or grant
  • Gross waste of Recovery funds
  • A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety as related to the use of Recovery funds
  • An abuse of authority related to the use of Recovery funds
  • A violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency Recovery contract or grant
Whistleblower Poster display required

All Recovery Act job sites must post signage of Whistleblower protections.  The sign may be downloaded from this government website.  All Recovery Act job sites are encouraged to post signage of the Recovery Act Fraud Hotline

 Fraud HotlinePoster (PDF 2.7 MB)