Institute Policies and Procedures
Smoking is not permitted in any space occupied by the Institute, including all vehicles and buildings (both offices and common areas) of the Institute, other than apartments in the Institute’s Housing Complex. All Faculty, Staff, Members and Visitors to the campus are expected to comply with these smoking regulations.
As required by New Jersey law, employees exercising their rights to a smoke-free work environment will not be retaliated against or subjected to any adverse employment action. Additionally, any employee who has any questions or concerns about the Institute’s smoke-free policy or who believes that he or she may have been subjected to adverse action for exercising his or her right to a smoke-free environment is advised to consult with the Chief Human Resources Officer. Employees are advised that this procedure will favor the health concerns of the employees desiring a smoke-free environment.
Request for Accommodation:
OSHA's COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS):
The Institute for Advanced Study is required, as a recipient of Federal funds, to establish policies and procedures for its Faculty, Staff, Members and Visitors which will ensure a drug-free work environment. To that end the Institute prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of controlled substance in the workplace. The possession, use, or sale of illegal drugs and the misuse of any legally obtained drugs while on Institute's premises or while performing any work for the Institute off-premises is prohibited. Further, Faculty and Staff are expected to report to work free from the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs and to remain free from such influence while on Institute’s premises or while performing any work for the Institute off-premises. If alcohol is being served at business-related events, Faculty and Staff are expected to drink responsibly and in moderation and to not allow the consumption of alcohol to interfere with their ability to perform their job effectively.
The Institute requires, as a condition of employment, that Faculty and Staff notify the Chief Human Resources Officer within 5 days of a conviction for a drug-related offense which occurred in the workplace. The Institute will discipline any Faculty or Staff member convicted of a drug-related offense which occurs in the workplace. Disciplinary action may include any or all of the following steps: (a) formal warning; (b) suspension without pay; (c) mandatory enrollment in and successful completion of a drug rehabilitation program; or (d) termination.
The Institute will notify the Federal granting agency, as required, within 10 days after receiving notice from an employee or Member or otherwise learning of an individual’s conviction for a drug-related offense in the workplace.
The Institute has available in each of its libraries literature on drug and alcohol abuse so that employees, Members and Visitors may learn of the dangers of substance abuse. It encourages employees, Members and Visitors to seek professional drug counseling if they believe they have a drug problem. The Chief Human Resources Officer can assist in referrals to local agencies.
The Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The Institute prohibits discrimination against Faculty, Staff, Members, Visitors and applicants for employment because of the individual’s race, creed, alienage, citizenship, color, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, partnership status, religion, national origin age, disability, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, prior arrest or conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all Institute activities, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. As detailed below, this policy also bans discriminatory harassment.
The Institute will provide reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified Faculty, Staff and applicants with a disability and to Faculty, Staff and applicants with needs related to their religious observance or practices. What constitutes a reasonable accommodation depends on the circumstances and thus will be addressed by the Institute on a case-by-case basis.
Discriminatory Harassment
As part of its EEO Policy, the Institute prohibits conduct that constitutes or could lead or contribute to harassment based on race, creed, alienage, citizenship, color, gender (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, prior arrest or conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by law. Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to: ethnic slurs; threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts directed at a particular gender or religious group or directed at an individual because of his or her sexual orientation, color, or ethnicity; and/or use of computers (including via the Internet) or e-mail systems to view or distribute racially offensive communications.
Quid Pro Quo Harassment
Additional rules apply to individuals with supervisory authority at the Institute. No one with a supervisory role may at any time: (1) threaten or imply that an individual’s submission to or rejection of a sexual advance, or harassment or discrimination based on any other protected category, will in any way influence any decision regarding that individual’s employment, performance evaluation, advancement, compensation, assignments, discipline, discharge, or any other term or condition of employment; or (2) make any employment decision concerning an individual on any discriminatory basis.
Harassment does not require intent to offend. Thus, inappropriate conduct or language meant as a joke, a prank, or even a compliment can lead or contribute to harassment.
The Institute must fully comply with all United States export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) under the Department of Commerce, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) under the Department of State, and other such regulations imposed by the Treasury Department through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Export control laws apply to an increasingly broad range of activities and technologies and an export license is almost always required to provide foreign nationals with training (e.g., under a technical assistance agreement) that involves a Covered Technology or otherwise transport a Covered Technology to a foreign country. Also subject to licensing are “Deemed” exports, or transfers of covered technology to foreign persons, usually in the U.S., where the transfer is regulated because the transfer is “deemed” to be to the country where the person is a resident or a citizen.
An export license is not required for research conducted on the Institute campus -- including research involving Covered Technology or Deemed Exports -- provided there are no access restrictions to the publication or the research. The Institute’s policy and practice of open access and publication provides protection under the fundamental research exemption. As defined in the federal guidelines on Export Control, fundamental research includes basic or applied research in science and/or engineering at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States where the resulting information is ordinarily published and shared broadly in the scientific community.
The responsibility for complying with these export control regulations -- recognizing whether technology or equipment involved in a foreign scholar’s research might be a Covered Technology and determining if there are any access restrictions to the publications or the research -- is a shared responsibility between the Faculty and the Visiting Scholar engaged in the research. If there are questions about the Export Control guidelines, the Office of Human Resources is available to assist with compliance efforts and, when necessary, will seek support from outside counsel.
The Institute’s Intellectual Property Policy follows. All Faculty, Members, Visitors, and Staff are required to sign, date, and return Appendix A to Human Resources upon their campus arrival.
The Institute for Advanced Study wishes to help members balance their family and scholarly responsibilities, especially those related to the adoption. The goal of the Member Adoption Parental Leave Policy (“Policy”) is to provide this important support to members, while ensuring the opportunity to enjoy the full benefit that membership at the Institute can provide.
The Member Adoption Parental Leave Policy covers the absence period by a member for the adoption of a child during the academic year (i.e., the dates corresponding with the beginning of term I through the end of term II) that occurs during the appointment period only. In order to qualify for the Policy, a member must be appointed for a minimum of two (2) consecutive terms at the Institute.
Policy for Members who are appointed for a minimum of one (1) academic year, but fewer than two (2) academic years:
• Qualified members will be able to take a paid leave of absence for a period of up to eight (8) weeks, effective on or around the time that that the adoption of a child is scheduled to occur.
• During the leave period, qualified members will be able to continue all rights and privileges of full membership, including full stipends, housing, health insurance, etc.
• As early as they can, members are requested to provide to Human Resources and their School with preliminary information regarding their need for adoption leave. The formal request for leave should be submitted in writing to Human Resources and to the School as soon as the official adoption dates are available.
Policy for Members who are appointed for two (2) or more academic years:
• Qualified members will be able to take a paid leave of absence for a period of up to eight (8) weeks, effective on or around the time that the adoption of a child is scheduled to occur.
• Either parent of the child would be eligible for an additional paid leave of absence period of up to six (6) months, as long as she/he certifies being the primary caregiver during this period. Primary caregiving is defined as having substantial daily responsibility for childcare of at least twenty (20) hours per week from Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• When applicable, this additional period will run concurrently with the eight (8) weeks of paid leave time the Institute provides in accordance with this Policy following the adoption of the child. Under no circumstances will any paid leave of absence period exceed six (6) months.
• During the leave period, qualified members will be able to continue all rights and privileges of full membership, including full stipends, housing, health insurance, etc.
• Upon returning from Leave, members who had a leave of absence period of more than eight (8) weeks will be able to extend their appointment by two (2) terms during the academic year following their originally scheduled appointment period end date.
• As early as they can, members are requested to provide to Human Resources and their School with preliminary information regarding their need for adoption leave for planning purposes, but no later than the end of February. The formal request for leave should be submitted in writing to Human Resources and to the School as soon as the official adoption dates are available.
• Members must also provide the School and Human Resources with a written letter certifying that the member will be assuming primary caregiver responsibilities as soon as possible once that fact becomes known to the member.
• The Institute policy that members with long-term appointments (i.e., longer than six terms within a six-year period or renewals of existing appointments) must be invited on the nomination of the several Schools will be waived for members whose appointments were extended by operation of this policy.
The Institute for Advanced Study wishes to help members balance their family and scholarly responsibilities, especially those involving childbirth and parenting. The goal of the Pregnancy Disability and Newborn Caregiver Policy (“Policy”) is to provide this important support to members, while ensuring the opportunity to enjoy the full benefit that membership at the Institute can provide.
The Pregnancy Disability and Newborn Caregiver Policy covers the absence period by a member for the birth of a child during the academic year (i.e., the dates corresponding with the beginning of term I through the end of term II) that occurs during the appointment period only. In order to qualify for the Policy, members must be appointed for a minimum of two (2) consecutive terms at the Institute.
Policy for Members who are appointed for a minimum of one (1) academic year, but fewer than two (2) academic years:
• Qualified members will be able to take a paid leave of absence for a period of up to eight (8) weeks, effective on or around the time that the birth of a child is scheduled to occur.
• During the leave period, qualified members will be able to continue all rights and privileges of full membership, including full stipends, housing, health insurance, etc.
• Leave under this Policy should be requested as far in advance of the child’s expected arrival date as possible to provide a School with reasonable notice for planning purposes. Members are requested to provide to Human Resources and their School with a completed Proof and Claim for Disability Benefits form at their earliest convenience, and contact both the School and Human Resources as soon as possible with the precise date of disability and the anticipated disability period, as established by the member’s physician.
Policy for Members who are appointed for two (2) or more academic years:
• Qualified members will be able to take a paid leave of absence for a period of up to eight (8) weeks, effective on or around the time that the birth of a child is scheduled to occur.
• Either parent of the newborn child would be eligible for an additional paid leave of absence period of up to six (6) months, as long as she/he certifies being the primary caregiver during this period. Primary caregiving is defined as having substantial daily responsibility for child care of at least twenty hours per week from Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• When applicable, this additional period will run concurrently with the eight (8) weeks of paid leave time the Institute provides in accordance with this Policy following the birth of the child. Under no circumstances will any paid leave of absence period exceed six (6) months.
• During the leave period, qualified members will be able to continue all rights and privileges of full membership, including full stipends, housing, health insurance, etc.
• Upon returning from leave, members who had a leave of absence period of more than eight (8) weeks will be able to extend their appointment by two (2) terms during the academic year following their originally scheduled appointment period end date.
• Leave under this Policy should be requested as far in advance of the child’s expected arrival date as possible to provide a School with reasonable notice for planning purposes, but no later than the end of February. In addition, members must provide the Human Resources Office with a completed Proof and Claim for Disability Benefits at their earliest convenience, and contact both the School and Human Resources as soon as possible with the precise date of disability and the anticipated disability period, as established by the member’s physician.
• Members must also provide the School and Human Resources with a written letter certifying that the member will be assuming primary caregiver responsibilities as soon as possible once that fact becomes known to the member.
• The Institute policy that members with long-term appointments (i.e., longer than six terms within a six-year period or renewals of existing appointments) must be invited on the nomination of the several Schools will be waived for members whose appointments were extended by operation of this policy.
In the course of normal business and activity on the Institute’s campus, there is photography, video, and audio recording of lectures, social activities, events, and general campus life. Individuals (Members, employees, and all others) who are present on our campus are deemed to have authorized the Institute to use recordings of these events and activities in printed and electronic form (e.g., Institute website and publications) as determined appropriate by the Institute, without any explicitly documented consent, compensation, or attribution required or provided. Questions about this policy should be directed to the Communications Department.
The Institute expects and encourages the highest standards of scholarly ethics and honesty from its Faculty, Members, and all who carry out academic work under its auspices. Misconduct by a scholar that violates the standards of scholarly integrity demeans the individual, undermines the credibility of the scholarly community, and jeopardizes academic inquiry. The Institute defines research misconduct as intentional, knowing, or reckless fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Research misconduct does not include differences of opinion or honest error.
Allegations of misconduct in research are a very serious matter. When such allegations are raised, and where a School judges it appropriate to proceed to a formal examination, the Institute’s response to an allegation of research misconduct will consist of one or more of several phases, as appropriate, including:
(1) an inquiry – the assessment of whether the allegation has substance and if an investigation is warranted;
(2) an investigation – the formal development of a factual record, and the examination of that record leading to dismissal of the case or to a recommendation for a finding of research misconduct or other appropriate remedies;
(3) adjudication – during which recommendations are reviewed and appropriate corrective actions are determined.
Inquiry. Allegations of misconduct made against a Member will be reviewed by a committee of one or more Faculty from the appropriate School, including, if needed, outside experts. If the allegation is against a member of the Faculty, the committee will also include one representative from the Faculty of each of the other Schools. The committee will undertake a review, with the person in question having been informed, and mindful at all times of the privacy rights of the individual. The committee also will be expected to make the best effort to preserve the confidentiality of any investigation. The committee will examine the published record and determine if the allegations have substance. If it appears that there may have been misconduct, the Institute will report this finding to the individual scholar, along with any relevant supporting materials. A hearing will then take place, with written materials offered as part of the process, to give the scholar the opportunity to respond and, when appropriate, to confront his or her accusers.
Should the response not satisfy the committee’s concerns regarding the report, the Institute will communicate its findings to the institution where the scholar is employed (if the scholar is employed by another institution) and ask that institution to carry out an investigation, or (if the accused scholar is not employed by another institution) carry out an investigation itself. In either case, if the research was accomplished at the Institute with funds from federal grants from such institutions as the National Endowment for the Humanities or the National Science Foundation, where appropriate the allegation also will be reported to the relevant body in accordance with that body’s policies.
Investigation. In forwarding allegations of research misconduct to a scholar’s home institution, the Institute will ask that institution to specify the process and schedule by which it will investigate the allegation. It is expected that such an investigation, conducted by faculty peers according to the institution’s governance procedures, will develop a factual record, examine that record, and recommend either the dismissal of the case or a finding of research misconduct. It is also expected that the investigation institution will provide the subject of the investigation with written notification of the charges, offering opportunity for a response. It is expect that any related proceedings will be carried out in as confidential a manner as possible.
The Institute will carry out an investigation directly if: a) the scholar’s home institution declines to carry out an investigation; b) an allegation, judged by the Institute’s inquiry to be substantive, has been made against an independent scholar; c) an allegation, judged by the Institute’s inquiry to be substantive, has been made against a member of the Faculty or staff of the Institute. In the latter two cases, the Director of the Institute will appoint a special committee consisting predominantly of Faculty (in the case of a Faculty member, the committee will include Faculty representatives from each School) to investigate the allegation. The investigation will develop a factual record, examine that record, and recommend either the dismissal of the case or a finding of research misconduct. Prior to making a final recommendation the Institute will provide the subject of the investigation with written notification of the charges, and will offer the accused the opportunity to confront the allegations, and to respond. The entire proceedings will be carried out in as confidential a manner as possible.
If the research in question was conducted with federal funds, the Institute will forward the report on the investigation to the relevant federal agency.
Adjudication. Having referred an allegation to another institution that has accepted responsibility for investigating the allegation, the Institute will await the results of any investigation conducted by the authority prior to taking action. If, after reviewing the findings of the other institutions’s investigation, the committee initially appointed to inquire into the allegations agrees that there was misconduct, the committee will be expected to recommend an action to be taken by the Director of the Institute. Similarly, if an investigation carried out by a committee appointed by the Institute reports a finding of research misconduct, the committee of inquiry will recommend actions to the Director.
Possible action may include corrective measures, retraction, public apology, letter of reprimand with copies to the home institution, or suspension of stipend and all other forms of Institute recognition and support. If there is reason to believe that the misconduct is criminal in nature, the appropriate authorities will be notified. A written report of the adjudication will be given to the subject of the investigation, to any federal or private agency supporting the research in question, and a copy retained in the Institute’s confidential files for at least ten years.
This policy is set out with the understand that all scholars associated with the Institute for Advanced Study are expected to abide by appropriate standards for their field of research. Such standards have been set out in guidelines for processional conduct as provided by relevant academic societies including the American Philosophical Society, the American Physical Society, and the American Historical Association. Such guidelines, which will be referred to in the review of any allegations of scholarly misconduct at the Institute, can be obtained from the appropriate organization.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Title IX applies, with a few specific exceptions, to all aspects of federally funded education programs or activities. In addition to traditional educational institutions such as colleges, universities, and elementary and secondary schools, Title IX also applies to any education or training program operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance. Title IX and its implementing federal regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities.
The Institute for Advanced Study is committed to maintaining an educational, working, and living environment free from discrimination and harassment, and fostering an environment where all individuals may pursue their studies, work, careers and social interactions without being subjected to sexual misconduct.
For the complete IAS Title IX and Sexual Harassment Policies, please click
For the complete IAS Title IX Procedures, please click
Navex Global
Individuals who wish to remain anonymous may also report their concerns through the Institute’s phone and Internet-based reporting system, managed by an independent third party, NAVEX Global. Upon submission of a report, NAVEX Global will promptly forward the report to Chief Human Resources Officer for review and investigation, unless it conflicts with the nature of the complaint. All reports will be handled promptly and discreetly, receiving careful consideration with the objective of addressing any improper conduct or violation of Institute policy. In all cases, your anonymity will be protected by NAVEX Global. Reports can be filed on the web at www.ias.ethicspoint.com, or via telephone at 855-227-1988.
The Institute believes that all Faculty, Staff, Members and Visitors are entitled to work in a safe environment, free of fear for their personal safety and well-being. Therefore, it is the policy of the Institute that verbal harassment, threats of aggression, or acts of physical violence will not be tolerated.
Employees who have been the object of such a threat or act must immediately report the incident to their immediate supervisor or to the Chief Human Resources Officer. Any supervisor who observes, overhears or receives a report of verbal harassment, threats of aggression or acts of physical violence, must immediately report them to the Chief Human Resources Officer, or in his/her absence, to the Chief Operating Officer and Associate Director for Finance and Administration.
Any harassment, threats or acts of violence will be taken seriously. Upon receiving such a report, an immediate investigation will be undertaken. Reasonable steps will be taken to protect Faculty, Staff, Members, and Visitors from harm.
Any employee who is found to have harassed or threatened anyone at or from the workplace either in person or using telephones, fax machines, computers, or other communication devices, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Further, if necessary, local law enforcement will be contacted to assist in handling a threat or act of violence.