Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I. Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Investigations
What should I do if I observe what appears to be fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of Federal funds?
NIH Manual Chapter 1754, "Reporting Allegations of Criminal Offenses, Misuse of NIH Grant and Contract Funds, or Improper Conduct by an NIH Employee" describes the responsibilities of NIH employees, employees of NIH contractors, and employees of NIH grantee organizations regarding reporting allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of Federal funds.
All NIH employees have a responsibility to assist in efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in all NIH programs and have the responsibility to immediately report such matters to either:
- The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline at 800-447-8477 or
- The Office of Management Assessment (OMA), NIH at 301-496-5586 or 301-496-1873.
Employees of NIH contractors have a responsibility to assist in combating fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in all NIH programs and to report such matters to the OIG Hotline or to OMA at the numbers provided above, to the extent these responsibilities are specified in the terms of the contract.
Employees of NIH grantee organizations who become aware of the existence or apparent existence of fraud, abuse, and waste of PHS financial assistance funds are encouraged to report this to the OIG Hotline at the number provided above.
What is my responsibility during an investigation?
NIH employees, supervisors, management officials, grantees, and contract employees shall cooperate fully with the OIG and OMA during the conduct of any review or investigation.
NIH employees are required to provide requested records (including hard copy or electronic records, e-mail messages and attachments, and laboratory notebooks) to the OIG or OMA if requested as part of an official review. Contractor and grantee organizations are required to provide access to their records to the OIG or OMA pursuant to contract and grant regulations.
|