All researchers who engage in sponsored or externally funded research will comply with Institute and sponsoring agency policies as well as any applicable regulations regarding cost sharing requirements on all proposals and awards.

All Cost Sharing
The commitment of funds for cost sharing is subject to the availability of funds for that purpose.

Cost share commitments must be approved prior to proposal submission by units that are contributing the funds. In addition, the Office of the EVPR must review all proposed voluntary committed cost share.

Mandatory and Voluntary Committed Cost Sharing Contributions are auditable and are allowable only when they meet all the following criteria:

• Are verifiable from the recipient's records.
• Would be allowable as a direct cost on the grant.
• Are not included as contributions for any other federally assisted project or program.
• Are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project or program objectives.
• Are allowable under the applicable cost principles.
• Are not paid by the Federal Government under another award, except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching.
• Are provided for in the approved budget when required by the Federal awarding agency.
• Conform to provisions of 2 CFR 200 or other sponsor requirements, as applicable.

Voluntary Uncommitted Cost Sharing
Any funding or other resources needed for voluntary uncommitted cost sharing should be approved prior to proposal submission to the funding entity.

Third-Party Cost Sharing
Funds to be provided by entities outside of Georgia Tech must be supported at the proposal stage by written documentation from an authorized official at the outside entity indicating its commitment to provide cost sharing.

If the third-party entity fails to fulfill its cost sharing obligation, the lead PI’s unit is responsible for covering the commitment.

An organizational conflict of interest may occur when a federal contractor has an Unfair Competitive Advantage over other potential contractors or is unable to avoid Impaired Objectivity, or the appearance of Impaired Objectivity, in the course of the contracted work. (See section 4 below for detailed definitions of Unfair Competitive Advantage and Impaired Objectivity.) In order to comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5 – Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest, researchers or their designates submit all research proposals via the eRouting system, where they answer questions about the programmatic requirement of an OCI assessment. Proposals that may contain an OCI requirement, as well as proposals for which the researcher would like a review, move to a member of the OCI Review Committee for a more detailed analysis. Georgia Tech is committed to recognizing, avoiding and mitigating potential organizational conflicts of interest, both real and perceived, wherever possible.

OCI review results are retained by the OCI committee and communicated via the eRouting system for institutional documentation.

2.1 Data Governance
The Georgia Tech data governance structure must include roles and committees to direct the proper use and handling of Organizational Data and Information Systems. The roles and committees as noted below in “Section 5 Responsibilities” must oversee the Data Governance, Data Management, Security, and Compliance of Georgia Tech Organizational Data and Information Systems as outlined in this policy and the corresponding guidelines, procedures, and resources. The GT technology governance structure must provide technical guidance to and support the work of the committees in the data governance structure. Learn more about the Data Governance structure.

2.2 Data Management
All Georgia Tech Organizational Data and Information Systems must be associated with appropriate Data Domains and Data Sub-Domains along with additional applicable categorizations to further assist with proper data management. Learn more about Data Domains. Learn more about Data Management Categorizations.

All Information Systems must be inventoried and have the ability to access and report documentation of the respective system’s Supporting Database schema and Data Elements. Learn more about Information Systems Inventory.

Additionally, all Mission-Critical Systems must have Data Element definitions for key elements, data quality controls and supporting documentation, and a method for communicating details about system and data availability and methods for individuals to report lack of availability. Learn more about Data Element Dictionary.

All Organizational Data must comply with USG and Georgia Tech retention and disposition requirements. Learn more about Records Management.

2.3 Data Security
Georgia Tech cybersecurity representatives, as appointed by the Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), must create policies, guidelines, procedures, and resources that facilitate a secure environment for the storage, use, and dissemination of Organizational Data to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

All Organizational Data must have a data protection categorization and a designated regulatory categorization (see “Section 2.4 Compliance”). All Protected Data must be protected in accordance with the appropriate Cyber Security Data Protection Safeguards and Protected Data Practices. These protections are recommended for all Public Data. Regulated Data is also subject to the controls specified in the applicable federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations as well as specifications contained in Georgia Tech grants, contracts, and other agreements entered into by, or for the benefit of, Georgia Tech. Such Regulated Data controls are required in addition to the controls specified in the Cyber Security Data Protection Safeguards and Protected Data Practices. When multiple controls exist, the strictest control will take precedent. Learn more about Data Protection Categorizations. Learn more about Cyber Security’s Data Protection Safeguards. Learn more about Cyber Security’s Protected Data Practices.

Access to an Information System via any interface (except user self-service) must be coordinated and reviewed through the Data User, associated Data Stewards for each applicable Data Domain, and the Data Administrator. Access to an Information System may require additional approvals (e.g., a Data User's supervisor) or may grant access through pre-approved role-based permissions. Access must be granted based on the Principle of Least Privilege, used only for the purpose for which it was originally intended, and used only by the individual Data Users who received approval. Additional training may be required by a Data Steward and/or a System Owner before access is granted. Human Resources must notify Data Stewards and Data Administrators when an employee is terminated or when an employee’s status has changed which requires a change to such employee’s access to Organizational Data and Information Systems. Access must be reviewed and verified on a regular basis to occur at a frequency determined by the Data Governance Committee. Learn more about Access Procedures.

All Georgia Tech units must ensure organizational structure, job duties, and business processes include an adequate system of separation of duties to reduce the risk of loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Organizational Data. Learn more about Separation of Duties.

2.4 Compliance
Organizational Data must be closely managed to verify compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations as well as specifications contained in Georgia Tech grants, contracts, and other agreements entered into by, or for the benefit of, Georgia Tech. All Organizational Data and Information Systems must have a designated regulatory categorization in order to identify applicable external regulatory requirements. Learn more about Data Regulation Categorizations. Learn more about Regulatory Compliance.

Training is required when a Data User enters any data governance and management role set forth in “Section 5.1 Roles.” Documentation of training participation and successful completion is required. Training must be completed on a regular basis, so employees are made aware of any updates to Policy, guidelines, procedures, or responsibilities of their role. Training frequency shall be determined by the Data Governance Committee. Learn more about Training.

The Data Governance Committee will appoint a Data Governance Officer to actively monitor compliance with this policy, guidelines, procedures, and resources. The roles and committees outlined in “Section 5 Responsibilities” must maintain appropriate documentation and general evidence that Georgia Tech is in compliance. Learn more about Monitoring. Learn more about Auditing.

Definitions

Postdoc
Postdoctoral appointees (“postdocs”) conduct research under the general oversight of a faculty mentor in preparation for a career in academe, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector. Postdoctoral work provides essential training that may include opportunities to enhance teaching and other professional skills.

Georgia Tech’s definition of postdoctoral appointments uses the following criteria:

1. The appointee has received a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., D.V.M., Sc.D., M.D.), typically within the past 5 years, in a field directly related to the appointee’s assigned responsibilities;
2. The appointee’s assigned responsibilities are primarily research and/or scholarship, and may include formal instructional responsibilities (typically no more than 50% effort);
3. The appointment is full time, limited term (recommended to be 1-3 years, with a maximum of 5 years);
4. The appointment is preparatory for a full-time career in academia, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector, and provides essential training that may include opportunities to enhance teaching and professional skills; and
5. The postdoc must be supervised by a full-time faculty member in the unit to which the postdoc is assigned.

The titles currently used for postdoctoral appointments at Georgia Tech are: Postdoctoral Fellow, Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar, Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow, Brittain Fellow, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics.

Throughout this policy, "postdoc” is used as an inclusive, general term.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellows are usually funded from Georgia Tech-administered grants, contracts, or funds and for the purposes of services and benefits are considered employees of Georgia Tech. Postdoctoral Fellows receive compensation for services as required by the sources of the corresponding Georgia Tech-administered grants, contracts, or funds. Appointment as a

Postdoctoral Fellow may include teaching responsibilities, but these must constitute less than 50% of the postdoc’s effort.

Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar
Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars primarily have training status; they are not considered employees of Georgia Tech. They are provided a stipend in exchange for which no specific service to Georgia Tech is required. The stipend may be provided directly to the recipient from an external source (e.g., a postdoctoral fellowship) or provided by Georgia Tech from an external source (e.g., NIH NRSA fellowships and training grant awards).

Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Brittain Fellow and other postdoctoral titles
If instructional responsibilities are significant, postdocs may be appointed with an appropriate title that reflects these duties. Examples of instructional titles include Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Brittain Fellow in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics.

Policy Statement

Postdoc Appointment Terms
Postdoctoral appointments should be full-time, with an expectation of a 40-hour workweek. Part- time appointments are appropriate only in extenuating circumstances, including, but not limited to, medical or personal reasons, or when the postdoc requires time for consulting or teaching external to Georgia Tech.

Generally, postdoctoral appointments at Georgia Tech should last between one and three years. The maximum term of appointment for postdocs at Georgia Tech is five years. This term limit is based on federal guidelines and the tenet that all postdoctoral appointments are primarily for training, which is inherently limited in duration. The appointment duration refers to the total time spent at Georgia Tech as a postdoc and does not include time spent at Georgia Tech as an undergraduate or graduate student, or as a postdoc at other institutions. The appointment may be interrupted for extended medical or family leaves. All postdoc reappointments should follow USG and Georgia Tech policies and procedures. See the Georgia Tech Faculty Affairs website.

Units must specify the duration of appointment, including the end date, in each postdoc’s offer letter. The unit in which a postdoc is appointed must verify that the actual duration of the appointment does not exceed five years or the term specified in the offer, whichever is shorter.

Requests for exceptions to the above terms of postdoctoral appointments must be approved by the Office of Faculty Affairs following a review by the Office of Postdoctoral Services.

Procedures for New Postdoctoral Appointments
Units are responsible for ensuring that appropriate procedures and forms are completed for both postdocs that hold an employee status, and Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars, respectively. Upon identification of a postdoc for appointment, units must complete the steps required by Faculty Affairs and GTHR for new appointments.

All appointment request packages should include official transcripts issued to Georgia Tech showing the doctoral degree completion. Units must complete a request, receive approval, and provide an offer letter for all postdoctoral appointments, including new postdoctoral appointees, postdocs returning to Georgia Tech, and postdocs being reappointed or transferring within units at Georgia Tech. Units should consult with Faculty Affairs and GTHR for paperwork for returning or transferring postdocs. Offer letter templates are available from Faculty Affairs.

Approval of Postdoctoral Appointments
All postdoctoral appointments must be approved by the Office of Faculty Affairs following a review by the Office of Postdoctoral Services. Faculty Affairs maintains centralized records for all academic appointees, research appointees, and postdocs with instructional duties.

Granting Instructional Responsibilities
Postdocs may teach courses and be the instructor of record if an agreement is reached between the postdoc, the faculty supervisor, and the academic unit. Faculty Affairs grants grading privileges on a case-by-case basis. Faculty Affairs also verifies that the SACSCOC Faculty Credential Guidelines are followed and maintains centralized records of credentials for all instructors, including official transcripts issued to Georgia Tech.

Onboarding Postdocs

Onboarding Postdoctoral Employees
Postdoctoral employees must follow all Georgia Tech employment procedures, which include completing payroll and benefits forms as detailed on the Georgia Tech Office of Human Resources website.

Onboarding Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars
Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars are not employees but are entered in the Georgia Tech’s personnel system so that their affiliation with Georgia Tech is established and documented. Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars must complete and sign the Postdoctoral Scholar Volunteer Agreement before onboarding at the Office of Human Resources. The onboarding process facilitates required access to facilities and OIT systems via Georgia Tech credentials.

Compensation of Postdocs
Postdoc salary minimums are reviewed and determined annually by the Offices of the EVPR and Provost by January 1st of each year to apply to the following fiscal year. Information on the compensation levels is published on the Faculty Affairs and Postdoctoral Services websites.

Guidance on salary levels commensurate with years of postdoctoral experience may also be provided.

The postdoc salary minimums will take into account:

1. current level of stipends provided by US federal postdoctoral fellowships and salaries offered by peer institutions;
2. years of postdoctoral experience before being hired at Georgia Tech;
3. projected USG employee health insurance premium levels;
4. state employee pay increase percentage;
5. other cost factors affecting postdocs; and
6. available funding.

While compensation minimums are determined by the Office of the EVPR and Provost, each school or unit that appoints postdocs is responsible for determining the salary/stipend ranges within the unit. The stipend levels shall be determined by the following factors:

1. peer institution salary/stipend levels for the disciplines (peer reviews to be conducted by units);
2. past experience and performance of the postdoc in research or teaching;
3. level of research or teaching work conducted by the postdoc;
4. for an international postdoc, the estimated cost of living as determined by the Office of International Education through the I-20 form (http://www.oie.gatech.edu/); and
5. available funding.

Each school or unit shall annually review the overall postdoc salary/stipend levels for its postdocs based on the factors noted above. If Georgia Tech is authorized to provide annual salary increases to state employees, comparable increases to postdocs funded through sponsored funds will be recommended by the school or unit. Postdoc salaries may also be raised via an equity adjustment based on the minimum recommended by the Institute for their years of postdoctoral experience. Raises for postdocs funded by sponsored funds should be included, through escalation factors, in grant budgets. Units should publish postdoc salary and stipend ranges in a location accessible to both postdocs and faculty in the unit.

Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar Compensation
For Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars, the terms of the fellowship or award dictate the stipend amount and any increases; these are not controlled by Georgia Tech. However, stipends may be supplemented by the supervisor or unit, if allowable under the terms of the award. If the stipend of an Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar is less than the minimum postdoc salary level established by the Institute, then a supplement to the stipend should be provided to match the minimum salary level. Note that NIH NRSA policy requires that that salary supplementation policies must be consistently applied to all Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars regardless of the source of funds.

Requests to provide Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars with a part-time salary for services rendered that are separate from the obligations of the fellowship or award will be considered on a case-by- case basis by Faculty Affairs and Postdoctoral Services.

In cases when stipends are provided directly to the postdoc from the sponsoring agency, the sponsoring agency is responsible for reporting for tax purposes. In cases where Georgia Tech administers the funding (e.g., NIH NRSA fellowships and training grant awards), stipends and stipend supplements should be provided via Georgia Tech Accounts Payable and reported on a Form 1099 to comply with federal tax regulations.

Benefits

Time Away from Work
Per the Georgia Tech Time Away from Work Policy, postdocs who are employees of Georgia Tech accrue 14 hours per month of paid annual leave and 8 hours per month of sick leave.

Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars are eligible for the amount of leave articulated and allowed under the terms of the fellowship or award.

Health Insurance
Postdocs who are employees of Georgia Tech are eligible for the USG employee health insurance plans and other benefits, subject to USG policies (see USG benefits eligible definition: http://www.usg.edu/hr/manual/employee_categories). In rare cases where a postdoc employee is appointed at less than 75% effort (less than 30 hours per week), health benefits eligibility will be determined by the number of hours worked. Contact the unit HR representative or GTHR Benefits unit to learn more.

Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars are not eligible for employee benefits per USG policy because they are not considered employees of Georgia Tech. Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars may acquire their own health insurance or choose to participate in the voluntary student health insurance plan (known as SHIP). To enroll in the voluntary student health insurance plan, Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars must be verified by the Office of Postdoctoral Services.

In some instances, an administrative financial allowance may be provided by the fellowship or award sponsor to be used by the unit to support allowable benefits-related expenses for Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars. Units must verify compliance with the award terms and conditions.

Expenses not covered by an administrative allowance provided by the sponsor are the responsibility of the the Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar.

Retirement Benefits
Postdoc employees have the option of participating either in the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) of Georgia or an Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). Upon initial appointment, the postdoc should consult an Office of Human Resources benefits counselor to determine the appropriate plan given the temporary nature of their appointment.

Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars can use any administrative allowance funds provided with the award to make voluntary payments into other individually selected retirement plans only when sponsors allow such expenditures. No institutional administrative allowance funds can be transferred from a Georgia Tech restricted account to the Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar’s retirement account without verification that the sponsor permits such payments from such funds. Verification must be provided through the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to the Accounts Payable Office before transfers can take place.

Additional Benefits and Issues
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to all postdocs, including Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars (even though Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholars are not eligible for other employee health benefits). This program provides no-cost, 24-hour access to confidential counselling for a range of personal, family, and work concerns.

International postdocs should check with the Office of International Education (if holding a J visa) or Global HR (if holding an H1B, F, or other visa) for assistance with questions regarding taxes and benefits, and how they will be treated under federal law (i.e., social security, etc.).

Performance Evaluations and Individual Development Plans
Recognizing that postdocs are in growth positions and striving for professional advancement, they are entitled to formal evaluations by their faculty mentors. USG and Georgia Tech policies (see USG Human Resources Administrative Practice Manual: Performance Evaluation) specify that written performance evaluations must occur on at least an annual basis.

In addition to performance evaluations, use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) is strongly recommended by Georgia Tech as well as some funding agencies. While the IDP may inform the postdoc’s performance evaluation, the IDP has a different purposes. The IDP is written by the postdoc to outline his/her own progress and goals, while the performance evaluation is the supervisors’ assessment of the postdoc’s efforts.

Conflict Resolution
Postdocs may consult with the Faculty & Graduate Student Ombuds for confidential, neutral, informal, and independent conflict resolution at any time. Postdocs are encouraged to seek informal resolution of conflicts by talking with their faculty supervisor and then with the school chair (or delegate). The next step in informal resolution is to contact the Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advocacy and Conflict Resolution. For other instances where an informal process is required, the Employee Dispute Resolution Policy is applicable to postdocs.

The Policy for Responding to Allegations of Scientific or Other Scholarly Misconduct is applicable to all postdocs (see Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook Section 5.7).

The Conflict Resolution Pathways Relevant to Postdocs document details the applicable polices and contacts for these and additional issues.

Appointment Conclusion

Resignation
A postdoc may resign his or her appointment by submitting a written statement to the immediate supervisor. Thirty days’ notice before the end date is standard, and as much time as is possible is preferred. When leaving Georgia Tech, the postdoc should also contact the HR representative for the unit to ensure that all of the correct steps are completed.

Dismissal
Postdoctoral appointments may be ended a thirty-day written notice if the funding support ends. In instances where a postdoc has violated any USG and/or Georgia Tech policy, dismissal may be immediate.

If Georgia Tech sponsors the visa of a postdoc and the employment ends prior to the original program end date, the supervisor must contact the Office of International Education (for J1 visas and F1-OPT authorized by Georgia Tech) or Global Human Resources (for H1B, F1-OPT authorized by other institutions, and other visas) prior to informing the postdoc of dismissal.

Appointment Duration Limit Reached
If the maximum term of appointment is reached, an appointee may be considered for a regular position through a competitive search. Regular positions that may be appropriate after a five-year postdoctoral appointment include, but are not limited to Research Scientist/Engineer II, Lecturer, or Academic Professional. Units should consult their HR representative or Faculty Affairs for additional information.

Summary Table of Postdoctoral Appointments

*Includes access to the Employee Assistance Program, Library, Parking & Transportation, Office of Postdoctoral Services programs and services, etc.

Commitment Accounting Requirements - General
Georgia Tech departments are required to:

• Review and reconcile salary and fringe benefit data in a timely manner,
• Establish position funding for filled positons,
• Submit, review, and approve transactions in a timely manner.

If a department is awaiting funding from internal or external awards, salary and fringe benefits must be allocated to the undesignated driver worktag, or another discretionary funding source. Departments should not allocate salary and fringe benefits from delayed funds to the suspense worktag for their Department, or another grant.

Change Position Funding (CPF)
When salary and fringe benefit distribution for a future pay period needs to be updated, Departments must follow the requirements outlined below to execute a CPF transaction.

Express Direct Retro (EDR)

If the salary and fringe benefit distribution for a prior pay period within the current fiscal year needs to be corrected, Departments must follow the requirements outlined below to execute an EDR transaction.

Late EDR - Special Documentation Requirements and Limitations for Externally-funded Sponsored Awards and Cost Share

Per 2CFR §200.431, EDR salary distribution changes that add salary charges to externally-fundedsponsored awards and cost share worktags must be accompanied by a written (or system-recorded) justification statement at an appropriate level of detail. Specific reasons for the transfer must be provided in the explanation. Cost transfer requests of this type that are not properly documented with an acceptable justification statement will be moved to the unit's sponsored undesignated worktag number by the Commitment Accounting central office and must be reallocated off of undesignated by the end of the fiscal year.  

EDR salary cost transfers to externally-funded sponsored projects beyond 90 days of the original expense posting will not be allowed under normal circumstances. Exceptions to the 90 day limit must be approved by the Commitment Accounting Manager (Institute Budget Planning and Administration Office) , Sr. Director of Grants and Contracts Accounting (Grants and Contracts Accounting Office), and Vice President for Research Administration (Georgia Tech Research Corporation). Exceptions will be considered when:

• Initial or continued sponsor funding is delayed beyond 90 days after the effective date, and the transfer is requested within the reporting period of the sponsored award (typically 60-90 days after the expiration date of the award).
• The terms and conditions of the sponsored agreement provide for acceptance and payment of the expenses covered by the proposed cost transfer and appropriate supporting documentation is provided.
• Other exceptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Senior Director of Grants and Contracts, and/or the Vice President for Research.

When a request doesn’t meet the one of the exceptions above, the Vice President of Finance and Planning (Administration and Finance Office) may also be required to approve the over 90 days EDR request.

Transfers between grants associated with the same sponsored award and sponsored gifts not identified as cost share projects funded by the Georgia Tech Foundation and Georgia Tech Research Corporation are not subject to special documentation requirements or the 90 day limitation.

Invalid Funding / Suspense

Departments must run and review the Invalid Funding Report daily and correct entries found on the report prior to payroll processing for the pay period. In order to correct the invalid funding entries, a change position funding transaction must be submitted and approved.

Failure to correct invalid funding entries before the payroll is processed for the period will cause the allocations to post to a suspense worktag. If suspense transactions are not corrected in a timely manner, the transactions will be transferred to departmental undesignated driver worktags or cost overrun.

Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. 

Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

As a federal contractor, it is also Georgia Tech’s policy to take affirmative actions to employ and to advance in employment all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, genetics, or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements.  This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment.

Georgia Tech makes reasonable accommodations for the disabilities of qualified employees, students, and applicants.  Please see Georgia Tech’s Disability Services website below for student ADA accommodations; see also Georgia Tech’s Human Resources Disability Services.

This policy outlines the process for reporting, investigating, and resolving claims of discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, and retaliation.

The Sexual Misconduct Policy governs allegations of sexual misconduct, which includes, but is not limited to, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and stalking.  Pursuant to that policy, allegations of student sexual misconduct are investigated and resolved under USG Policy 6.7 (Sexual Misconduct) and USG Policy 4.6.5 (Standards for Institutional Student Conduct Investigation and Disciplinary Proceedings).  All other complaints of sexual misconduct will be resolved as outlined in this policy.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for reviewing all registrations for research, teaching, and training that involve the use of recombinant DNA by Georgia Tech faculty, staff or students and ensuring that the proposed activities comply with the federal “NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules” and all other applicable regulations.  All scholarly activities involving recombinant DNA, regardless of source of funding, must be reviewed by the IBC.  The Committee has the responsibility and authority to review, approve, disapprove, or require changes in research, teaching, and training activities involving recombinant DNA materials.

Georgia Tech’s Institutional Biosafety Committee is registered with the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA).  IBC works closely with Georgia Tech’s Biosafety Officer in the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.  Committee membership is structured in accordance with federal requirements.  Members are appointed by the Executive Vice President for Research, who is also the Institutional Official for matters related to the Biosafety Committee.  The IBC holds meetings as needed to review registrations.