OVPR and OTD have issued updated guidance regarding Participation Agreements (PA) and Visitor Participation Agreements (VPA) as they relate to researchers who have left or will be leaving the University. Specifically, the guidance clarifies that such individuals continue to be subject to the provisions of their signed PA/VPA whenever they use Harvard-administered resources in their research or participate in an activity that is covered by an agreement between the University and a third party. This includes cases where the researcher receives an Associate appointment or otherwise returns as a visitor, whether for purposes of completing research in progress at the time of their departure or engaging in further collaboration with their former colleagues. In such instances, if the Department already has on file an acceptable version of the PA/VPA executed by the researcher prior to such individual signing any employment agreement or similar document with their current organization, signature of another VPA is not needed. The guidance further provides a series of ‘talking points’ to assist returning/departing researchers in mitigating the risk of any conflict between their continuing Harvard work and any current/future appointment.

For additional information, including the current PA and VPA templates, please see OVPR’s website.