Code of Conduct

Code of Business Conduct for CEO and Staff

Introduction

A copy of this Code of Business Conduct is given to all staff when they start work at the HRB and they are required to confirm that they have read and understood this Code and will comply with it. This Code is made available on the HRB’s website and a copy can be provided directly to any member of the public who requests it.

This Code is reviewed on a regular basis.

About the HRB

The Health Research Board (HRB) current stated mission is

To support research that improves people’s health, promotes evidence-informed care and creates solutions to societal challenges

The HRB’s values are:

Leadership
Independence
Accountability
Quality
Responsiveness
Collaboration
Inclusiveness

Objective of this Code

In many cases the decisions as to what is ethical or fair are clear-cut and will be obvious to a reasonable person. There may be circumstances, however, in which a doubt or ambiguity arises. This written Code of Business Conduct is designed to assist in those circumstances and as a guide by which the Chief Executive and individual staff may observe the highest standards of ethical behaviour.

It is not possible to provide for every situation in the Code of Business Conduct. If there is a doubt about the probity of any particular situation the Chief Executive should consult with the Chairperson, and individual staff should consult with their line managers, Chief Executive or the Chairperson where appropriate.

General Principles

The Chief Executive and staff should observe to highest standards of honesty and integrity. To ensure this they should adhere to the following principles:

Integrity

The Chief Executive and staff should

Conform to the procedures laid down in the Health Research Board (Establishment) Order 1986 (S.I. NO. 279 of 1986) as amended in relation to conflicts of interest which states

13. (1) Where a member of the Board, the Chief Executive, an employee of the Board, a member of a committee or any other person engaged by the Board has a pecuniary or other beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter which falls to be considered by the Board or a committee of the Board, he or she shall comply with the following requirements:

he or she shall disclose to the Board or committee the nature of his or her interest in advance of any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall neither influence nor seek to influence a decision in relation to the matter,
he or she shall take no part in any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall withdraw from the meeting for so long as the matter is being discussed or considered by the Board or committee and shall not vote or otherwise act as a member, Chief Executive or employee in relation to the matter

(2) For the purposes of this article, but without prejudice to the generality of sub article (1), a person shall be regarded as having a beneficial interest if:

he or she or any member of his or her household, or any nominee of his or her or any member of his or her household, is a member of a company or any other body which has a beneficial interest in, or material to, a matter referred to that sub article,
he or she or any member of his or her household is in partnership with or is in the employment of a person who has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such matter,
he or she or any member of his or her household is a party to any arrangement or agreement (whether or not enforceable) concerning land to which such a matter relates,
any member of his or her household has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such a matter

(3) For the purposes of this article a person shall not be regarded as having a beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter by reason only of an interest of his or her or of any company or of any other body or person mentioned in sub article (2) which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a person in considering, discussing or in voting on, any question with respect to the matter, or in performing any function in relation to that matter.

(4) Where a question arises as to whether or not a course of conduct, if pursued by a person, would be a failure by him or her to comply with the requirements of sub article (1), the question shall be determined by the Chairperson.

(5) Where a disclosure is made to the Board or committee pursuant to sub article (1), particulars of the disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(6) The Board may adopt additional rules in relation to members, the Chief Executive, staff and members of committees to prevent a conflict of interest in the carrying out of the Board’s functions.

The Chief Executive and all staff who are holders of designated posts (i.e. members of the Executive Team and certain members of the Management Team) submit annually a declaration in compliance with Standards in Public Office legislation
Avoid the giving or receiving of corporate gifts, hospitality, preferential treatment or benefits which might appear to affect the ability of the donor or the recipient to make independent judgement on business transactions
Ensure that purchasing activities of goods/services is in accordance with Public Procurement Guidelines issues by the Office of Government Procurement
Support a culture of claiming expenses only as appropriate to business needs and in accordance with good practice in the public sector generally
Ensure that the HRB’s accounts and annual reports accurately reflect business performance and are not misleading or designed to be misleading
Avoid the use of the HRB’s resources or time for personal gain, or for the benefit of persons / organisations unconnected with the HRB or its activities
Not acquire information or business secrets by improper means

Information

The Chief Executive and staff should

Support the HRB’s provision of access to general information relating to the HRB’s activities in a way that is open and enhances the HRB’s accountability to the general public

Respect the confidentiality of sensitive information held by the HRB. This would constitute material such as Commercially sensitive information (including but not limited to future plans or details of major organisational or other changes such as restructuring)

Personal information and

Information received in confidence by the HRB

Observe appropriate prior consultation procedures with third parties where, exceptionally, it is proposed to release sensitive information in the public interest

Comply with relevant statutory provisions relating to access to information including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Data Protection Acts and Freedom of Information Acts.

Obligations

The Chief Executive and staff should

Fulfil all regulatory and statutory obligations imposed on the HRB

Comply with detailed tendering and purchasing procedures as set out in the Public Procurement Guidelines issued by the Office of Government Procurement as well as complying with prescribed levels of authority for sanctioning any relevant expenditure

Ensure that there are adequate controls in place to prevent fraud including controls to ensure compliance with prescribed procedures in relation to claiming expenses for business travel

Acknowledge the duty of all to conform to the highest standards of business ethics

Loyalty

The Chief Executive and staff should

Acknowledge the responsibility to be loyal to the HRB and fully committed to all of its business activities while mindful that the HRB itself must at all times take into consideration the interests of the State and of its clients/stakeholders

Fairness

The Chief Executive and staff should

Comply with employment equality and equal status legislation

Commit to fairness in all business dealings

Value clients/stakeholders and treat all clients/stakeholders equally

Professionalism

When dealing with stakeholders, the Chief Executive and staff should be service-minded, courteous and accessible. The HRB’s Customer Charter which is published on the HRB website outlines the standard of service that stakeholders may expect when contacting the HRB.

The Chief Executive and staff should follow the HRB’s policies and procedures at all times unless there are legitimate grounds for department from them in an individual case.

Work/External Environment

The Chief Executive and staff should

Place highest priority on promoting and preserving the health and safety of fellow staff;
Ensure that community concerns are fully considered; and
Minimise and detrimental impact of the operations on the environment.

*For the purposes of this Code the term ‘Staff’ includes all employees of the HRB, temporary agency staff assigned to work at the HRB and HRB interns.

Code of Business Conduct for the Members of the Board and Board Committees

Introduction

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s “Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies” (August 2016) requires all public bodies to have a written Code of Conduct for the Chief Executive and staff*. The following code sets out in written form the agreed standards of principle and practice that should inform the conduct of the Chief Executive and staff of the HRB in the performance of their duties.
A copy of this Code of Business Conduct is given to all staff when they start work at the HRB and they are required to confirm that they have read and understood this Code and will comply with it. This Code is made available on the HRB’s website and a copy can be provided directly to any member of the public who requests it.

This Code is reviewed on a regular basis.

About the HRB

The Health Research Board (HRB) current stated mission is
To support research that improves people’s health, promotes evidence-informed care and creates solutions to societal challenges

The HRB’s values are:

Leadership
Independence
Accountability
Quality
Responsiveness
Collaboration
Inclusiveness

Objective of this Code

General Principles

The Chief Executive and staff should observe to highest standards of honesty and integrity. To ensure this they should adhere to the following principles:
Integrity

The Chief Executive and staff should
Conform to the procedures laid down in the Health Research Board (Establishment) Order 1986 (S.I. NO. 279 of 1986) as amended in relation to conflicts of interest which states

he or she shall disclose to the Board or committee the nature of his or her interest in advance of any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall neither influence nor seek to influence a decision in relation to the matter,
he or she shall take no part in any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall withdraw from the meeting for so long as the matter is being discussed or considered by the Board or committee and shall not vote or otherwise act as a member, Chief Executive or employee in relation to the matter

(2) For the purposes of this article, but without prejudice to the generality of sub article (1), a person shall be regarded as having a beneficial interest if:

he or she or any member of his or her household, or any nominee of his or her or any member of his or her household, is a member of a company or any other body which has a beneficial interest in, or material to, a matter referred to that sub article,
he or she or any member of his or her household is in partnership with or is in the employment of a person who has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such matter,
he or she or any member of his or her household is a party to any arrangement or agreement (whether or not enforceable) concerning land to which such a matter relates,
any member of his or her household has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such a matter

(5) Where a disclosure is made to the Board or committee pursuant to sub article (1), particulars of the disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(6) The Board may adopt additional rules in relation to members, the Chief Executive, staff and members of committees to prevent a conflict of interest in the carrying out of the Board’s functions.

The Chief Executive and all staff who are holders of designated posts (i.e. members of the Executive Team and certain members of the Management Team) submit annually a declaration in compliance with Standards in Public Office legislation
Avoid the giving or receiving of corporate gifts, hospitality, preferential treatment or benefits which might appear to affect the ability of the donor or the recipient to make independent judgement on business transactions
Ensure that purchasing activities of goods/services is in accordance with Public Procurement Guidelines issues by the Office of Government Procurement
Support a culture of claiming expenses only as appropriate to business needs and in accordance with good practice in the public sector generally
Ensure that the HRB’s accounts and annual reports accurately reflect business performance and are not misleading or designed to be misleading
Avoid the use of the HRB’s resources or time for personal gain, or for the benefit of persons / organisations unconnected with the HRB or its activities
Not acquire information or business secrets by improper means

Information

The Chief Executive and staff should

Support the HRB’s provision of access to general information relating to the HRB’s activities in a way that is open and enhances the HRB’s accountability to the general public
Respect the confidentiality of sensitive information held by the HRB. This would constitute material such as
Commercially sensitive information (including but not limited to future plans or details of major organisational or other changes such as restructuring) Personal information and Information received in confidence by the HRB
Observe appropriate prior consultation procedures with third parties where, exceptionally, it is proposed to release sensitive information in the public interest
Comply with relevant statutory provisions relating to access to information including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Data Protection Acts and Freedom of Information Acts.

Obligations

The Chief Executive and staff should

Fulfil all regulatory and statutory obligations imposed on the HRB
Comply with detailed tendering and purchasing procedures as set out in the Public Procurement Guidelines issued by the Office of Government Procurement as well as complying with prescribed levels of authority for sanctioning any relevant expenditure
Ensure that there are adequate controls in place to prevent fraud including controls to ensure compliance with prescribed procedures in relation to claiming expenses for business travel
Acknowledge the duty of all to conform to the highest standards of business ethics

Loyalty

The Chief Executive and staff should

Fairness

The Chief Executive and staff should

Comply with employment equality and equal status legislation
Commit to fairness in all business dealings
Value clients/stakeholders and treat all clients/stakeholders equally

Professionalism

The Chief Executive and staff should follow the HRB’s policies and procedures at all times unless there are legitimate grounds for department from them in an individual case.

Work/External Environment

The Chief Executive and staff should

Place highest priority on promoting and preserving the health and safety of fellow staff;
Ensure that community concerns are fully considered; and
Minimise and detrimental impact of the operations on the environment.

*For the purposes of this Code the term ‘Staff’ includes all employees of the HRB, temporary agency staff assigned to work at the HRB and HRB interns.

Code of Business Conduct for the Members of the Board and Board Committees

Introduction

The Department of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s “Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies” (August 2016) requires all public bodies to have a written Code of Conduct for members of the Board and Board Committees. The following code sets out in written form the agreed standards of principle and practice that should inform the conduct of members of the Board and Board Committees of the HRB in the performance of their duties.

A copy of this Code of Business Conduct is given to all board and committee members when they are appointed to the HRB and they are required to confirm that they have read and understood this Code and will comply with it. This Code is made available on the HRB’s website and a copy can be provided directly to any member of the public who requests it.

This Code is reviewed on a regular basis.

About the HRB

The Health Research Board (HRB) current stated mission is to support research that improves people’s health, promotes evidence-informed care and creates solutions to societal challenges

The HRB’s values are:

Leadership
Independence
Accountability
Quality
Responsiveness
Collaboration
Inclusiveness

Objective of this Code

In many cases the decisions as to what is ethical, or fair are clear-cut and will be obvious to a reasonable person. There may be circumstances, however, in which a doubt or ambiguity arises. This written code of Conduct is designed to assist in those circumstances and as a guide by which individual members of the Board and Board Committees may observe the highest standards of ethical behaviour.

It is not possible to provide for every situation in the code of Conduct. If there is a doubt about the probity of any particular situation the Chairperson must be consulted.

General Principles

Members of the Board and Board Committees should observe to highest standards of honesty and integrity. To ensure this they should adhere to the following principles:

Integrity

Members of the Board and Board Committees should
Conform to the procedures laid down in the Health Research Board (Establishment) Order 1986 (S.I. NO. 279 of 1986) as amended in relation to conflicts of interest which states

he or she shall disclose to the Board or committee the nature of his or her interest in advance of any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall neither influence nor seek to influence a decision in relation to the matter,
he or she shall take no part in any consideration of the matter,
he or she shall withdraw from the meeting for so long as the matter is being discussed or considered by the Board or committee and shall not vote or otherwise act as a member, Chief Executive or employee in relation to the matter.

(2) For the purposes of this article, but without prejudice to the generality of sub article (1), a person shall be regarded as having a beneficial interest if:

he or she or any member of his or her household, or any nominee of his or her or any member of his or her household, is a member of a company or any other body which has a beneficial interest in, or material to, a matter referred to that sub article,
he or she or any member of his or her household is in partnership with or is in the employment of a person who has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such matter,
he or she or any member of his or her household is a party to any arrangement or agreement (whether or not enforceable) concerning land to which such a matter relates,
any member of his or her household has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such a matter.

(5) Where a disclosure is made to the Board or committee pursuant to sub article (1), particulars of the disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(6) The Board may adopt additional rules in relation to members, the Chief Executive, staff and members of committees to prevent a conflict of interest in the carrying out of the Board’s functions.

Submit annually a declaration in compliance with Standards in Public Office legislation
Avoid the giving or receiving of corporate gifts, hospitality, preferential treatment or benefits which might appear to affect the ability of the donor or the recipient to make independent judgement on business transactions
Ensure that purchasing activities of goods/services is in accordance with Public Procurement Guidelines issues by the Office of Government Procurement
Support a culture of claiming expenses only as appropriate to business needs and in accordance with good practice in the public sector generally
Ensure that the HRB’s accounts and annual reports accurately reflect business performance and are not misleading or designed to be misleading
Avoid the use of the HRB’s resources or time for personal gain, or for the benefit of persons / organisations unconnected with the HRB or its activities
Not acquire information or business secrets by improper means.

Members of the Board who are employees of Higher Education Institutions/Research Institutions/the HSE /voluntary health sector/ Charities should declare a conflict of interest in relation to any matter under discussion by the Board if

there is a possibility that they may in the future submit a grant application to a scheme(s) under discussion
there is a possibility that a collaborator/co-applicant/Co-Principal Investigator may in the future submit a grant application to a scheme(s) under discussion

The Conflict of Interest declared will be noted in the minutes of the meeting.

The Chairperson of the Board/Committee will decide whether the Board/Committee member may remain present and participate in the discussion.
The terms Co-applicant and collaborator are as defined in the HRB’s Guidance Notes for research grant applications. The definitions are reproduced at the end of this page.

Information

Members of the Board and Board Committees should

Support the HRB’s provision of access to general information relating to the HRB’s activities in a way that is open and enhances the HRB’s accountability to the general public
Respect the confidentiality of sensitive information held by the HRB. This would constitute material such as
Commercially sensitive information (including but not limited to future plans or details of major organisational or other changes such as restructuring)
Personal information and
Information received in confidence by the HRB
Observe appropriate prior consultation procedures with third parties where, exceptionally, it is proposed to release sensitive information in the public interest
Comply with relevant statutory provisions relating to access to information including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Data Protection Acts and Freedom of Information Acts

Obligations

Members of the Board and Board Committees should

Fulfil all regulatory and statutory obligations imposed on the HRB
Ensure that there are adequate controls in place to prevent fraud including controls to ensure compliance prescribed procedures in relation to claiming expenses for business travel
Use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that they attend the HRB Board and/or Committee meetings (as applicable)
Acknowledge the duty of all to conform to the highest standards of business ethics

Loyalty

Members of the Board and Board Committees should

Acknowledge the responsibility to be loyal to the HRB and fully committed to all of its business activities while mindful that the HRB itself must at all times take into consideration the interests of the State and of its clients/stakeholders.

Fairness

Members of the Board and Board Committees should

Comply with employment equality and equal status legislation
Commit to fairness in all business dealings
Value clients/stakeholders and treat all clients/stakeholders equally

Work/External Environment

Members of the Board and Board Committees should

Place highest priority on promoting and preserving the health and safety of staff;
Ensure that community concerns are fully considered; and
Minimise and detrimental impact of the operations on the environment.

Members of the Board and Board Committees must acknowledge, in writing, receipt of the Code of Business Conduct and understanding of same.

Definitions

CO-APPLICANTS

A Co-Applicant has a well-defined, critical and substantial role in the conduct and steering of the proposed research. Co-Applicants from outside of the Republic of Ireland are welcome where the nature of the research renders this necessary and is appropriately justified. A Co-Applicant may receive funding for items such as running costs and personnel but will not receive support towards his/her own salary if they are in salaried positions. However, Co-Applicants can request their own salary, depending on their role and percentage of time dedicated to the research project, for the duration of the award if they are contract independent investigators.

COLLABORATORS

An official Collaborator is an individual or an organisation who will have an integral and discrete role in the proposed research and is eligible to request funding from the award when properly justified. Named collaborators may include investigators or organisations from outside the Republic of Ireland, but an individual or organisation should only be named as Collaborator if they are providing specific contributions (either direct or indirect) to the project. A collaborator may supply samples or kits, may provide training in a technique, access to specific equipment, staff time, trials advice or other support, access to data and/or patients, instruments or protocols or may act in an advisory capacity. They can be based in an academic institution, a private enterprise, a healthcare organisation or agency, or come from the charity sector.