Grants-Related Institutional Policies

Here you will find federal and institutional policies related to grant-funded activities, listed alphabetically. The grants office is happy to help identify and provide guidance on compliance issues pertinent to your project. Please contact us with any questions.


Buying out released time policy


Conflict of Interest:  Trustees and officers of Williams College adhere to this Williams Conflict of Interest Policy. Annually, trustees and managers complete a Disclosure Form. 

The college maintains an official Code of Conduct as well as a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form which is to be completed and filed with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty by designated members of the faculty whose job responsibilities or relationships could give rise to conflicts of interest.

These COI policies are distinct from the financial conflict of interest (FCOI) policy (listed below) that is pertinent to individuals receiving federal grant funds.


Drug & Alcohol policy: The college’s drug and alcohol policy is in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug Free Schools and Communities amendments of 1989. ​​


Financial Conflict of Interest policy


Safety policies: Descriptions of committees on this page include the Human Subjects Review Committee (HSRC), which acts as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for all projects involving human subjects; the institutional biosafety committee; the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); the radiation safety committee, and the safety committee. Also of note is the section on bloodborne pathogens. More on this topic can be found in the staff handbook.


Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy


Post-award grant revision policy and procedures


Principal Investigator/Project Director Eligibility Policy


Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus Research Policy


Scientific Misconduct and Public Health Service Reporting Obligations


Spending policy for faculty using college funds: Detailed travel and business expense guidelines can be found on the controller’s office website.  Faculty members often have questions not specifically covered by those guidelines, so this page is meant to provide a supplemental overview and summary of spending policies as they apply to research and travel funds, start-up accounts, named chair accounts, internal fellowship accounts, and grant-funded research.


Subrecipient monitoring policy


Transfer of grant funded equipment policy


Travel and business expense guidelines