The Ombudsman's Role at NIH

When do you need an ombudsman?

You may decide you need an ombudsman when you:

  • Want to address a concern early, before it escalates or worsens
  • Are unclear about NIH’s policies and procedures and how they apply to you
  • Are uncertain where to take a work problem
  • Have concerns about issues specific to the scientific community such as questions involving mentoring, authorship, resources, and intellectual property rights
  • Want an independent facilitator to assist you in working through a problem
  • Want help in addressing an issue in a non-adversarial manner
  • Feel you have been treated unfairly