NIH employees make outstanding contributions to the biomedical sciences that are frequently recognized by outside organizations in the form of awards. Employees may accept these awards subject to the regulations (5 CFR 2635.204(d) and 5 CFR 5501.111). For general information on awards, see Awards from Outside Organizations. For additional information on awards with gifts of cash or equivalent, see also the list of approved cash awards.

Awards that bestow only the following (no cash or equivalent) must be reviewed by the employee's Deputy Ethics Counselor and confirmed to meet the regulatory criteria before the employee may accept the gifts associated with the award.

• an honor (no cash component);
• a plaque or trophy of little intrinsic value;
• travel expenses to an event;  or
• waiver of registration fee for the award ceremony.

The following awards offer gifts ranging from tangible items of little or no intrinsic value, a meal, or other non-cash gifts to travel expenses. These awards have been reviewed by a Deputy Ethics Counselor at the NIH and determined to meet the regulatory criteria. Therefore, they may be accepted by NIH employees. However, each employee's request must still undergo a conflicts review to ensure that the recipient does not have a conflict with the awarding institution.

Updated: 2/19/13