About the Museum

The American Museum of Natural History is located within Lenapehoking, the ancestral land of the Lenape. We acknowledge and honor the present-day Lenape for their ongoing, restorative relationship with their homeland and important contributions to the cultural life of the City of New York and the region.

In 2006, the Museum established the Richard Gilder Graduate School which includes a Ph.D. granting program in comparative biology within the Museum.

Accordingly, the Museum’s Charter was amended by the Board of Regents of the State of New York as follows:

“to confer the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.) to duly qualified graduates completing registered curricula at the Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History, and to award from the Graduate School the Honorary Degrees of Science (D.Sc.), Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) and Master of Humane Letters (L.H.M.) to those selected by the Board of Trustees.”

In 2015, the Museum began granting a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, and its Charter was further amended by the Board of Regents of the State of New York as follows:

“to confer the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) to duly qualified graduates completing registered curricula at the Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History, and to change the name of the Graduate School to the “Richard Gilder Graduate School.”

1869

• Albert Smith Bickmore, one-time student of Harvard zoologist Louis Agassiz, is successful in his proposal to create a natural history museum in New York City, winning the support of William E. Dodge, Jr., Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., Joseph Choate, and J. Pierpont Morgan. The Governor of New York, John Thompson Hoffman, signs the Act of Incorporation officially creating the American Museum of Natural History on April 6. John David Wolfe becomes President of the Museum the same year.

1871

• A series of exhibits of the Museum's collection goes on view for the first time in the Central Park Arsenal, the Museum's original home on the eastern side of Central Park.

1872

• Robert L. Stuart becomes President of the Museum.
• The Museum quickly outgrows the Arsenal and secures Manhattan Square, a block of land across the street from Central Park, between West 77th and 81st Streets, to build a bigger facility. 

1874

• The cornerstone for the Museum's first building at 77th Street is laid by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

1877

• The first building opens with U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes presiding at a public ceremony.

1881

• New Museum President Morris K. Jesup launches the Museum into a golden age of exploration that lasts from 1880 to 1930. During this time, the Museum is involved with expeditions that discover the North Pole, explore unmapped areas of Siberia, traverse Outer Mongolia and the great Gobi desert, and travel to the Congo, taking Museum representatives to every continent on the globe.

1895

• President Jesup hires Franz Boas to be the assistant curator in the Department of Ethnology.

1896

• The Hall of Northwest Coast Indians, now called the Northwest Coast Hall, opens on the first floor.

1897–1902

• Boas organizes the Jesup North Pacific Expedition. In the entire field of anthropology, nothing of comparable ambition or scope has ever before been attempted. The expedition yields an unparalleled record of the life and culture of the peoples of the North Pacific.

1906

• Boas leaves his position at the Museum and begins teaching at Columbia University. One of his students is Margaret Mead, the scientist, explorer, writer, and teacher who will work in the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History from 1926 until her death in 1978. A pioneer, she brings the serious work of anthropology to a broader audience.

1908

• Museum President Morris K. Jesup dies. Henry Fairfield Osborn becomes President. 

1913

• Carl Akeley, a pioneer in the creation of life-like mammal dioramas, writes to the Museum offering to devote five years to the creation of an African mammals hall.

1921

• The Second International Eugenics Congress is convened at the Museum to advance the pseudo-science of eugenics.

1922

• Roy Chapman Andrews leads historic Central Asiatic Expeditions through the Gobi desert of Mongolia, discovering some of the richest dinosaur fossil sites in the world. Andrews and his team work there until the border between China and Outer Mongolia closes in 1930.

1926

• The Museum receives an extensive gift of mammals from the Indian subcontinent, the result of an expedition led by Arthur S. Vernay and Colonel J. C. Faunthorpe. Work soon begins on designing a fitting environment for these specimens, which will be mounted according to Akeley’s technique and displayed in dioramas.

1930

• The first major hall of mammal habitat dioramas, the South Asiatic Hall, opens, displaying Vernay and Faunthorpe’s specimens.

1933

• F. Trubee Davison becomes President of the Museum. 
• The Hall of Ocean Life opens on the first floor.

1935

• Legendary dinosaur explorer Roy Chapman Andrews becomes Director of the Museum.
• The Hayden Planetarium opens.

1936

• Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall and Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda open.

1942

• The Hall of North American Mammals opens on the first floor with 10 dioramas. More are added through 1963. The gallery showcases what many consider to be the finest habitat dioramas in the world, many set in U.S. National Parks.
• The Akeley Hall of African Mammals opens under the direction of James L. Clark, the Museum’s Vice Director. Artists and scientists, led by Carl Akeley, had gone to Africa to sketch, photograph, collect, measure, and make molds of leaves, bark, moss, and other aspects of the terrain to make the dioramas as accurate as possible.

1951

• Alexander M. White becomes President of the Museum.

1958

• The Hall of North American Forests opens on the first floor.

1960

• The Great Canoe is installed near the 77th Street entrance.

1963

• The Hall of North American Small Mammals opens on the first floor.

1964

• The Hall of Primates opens on the third floor.

1966

• The Hall of Eastern Woodlands Indians opens on the third floor.

1967

• The Hall of Plains Indians opens on the third floor.
• The Museum’s exterior is designated an official New York City Landmark.

1968

• Gardner D. Stout becomes President of the Museum.
• The Hall of African Peoples opens on the second floor.

1969

•  The Hall of Ocean Life is renovated to include a 94-foot-long model of a blue whale suspended from the ceiling.

1970

• The Hall of Mexico and Central America opens on the second floor.

1971

• The Hall of Pacific Peoples opens on the third floor, reopens as Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples in 1984.

1972

• The Frederick H. Leonhardt People Center opens on the second floor.

1974

• The Louis Calder Laboratory and the Alexander M. White Natural Science Center are completed on the second floor.

1975

• Robert G. Goelet becomes President of the Museum.
• The Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda on the Museum’s second floor is designated a New York City interior landmark.

1976

• The Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals open on the first floor.

1977

• Gallery 3, a special-exhibition space on the third floor, is completed.
• The Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians opens on the third floor.

1980

• The Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples opens on the second floor.

1981

• The Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites opens on the first floor.

1983

• The Charles A. Dana Education Wing is completed.

1988

• George D. Langdon, Jr., becomes President of the Museum.

1989

• The Hall of South American Peoples opens on the second floor. The original South American hall opened in 1907 and closed in the 1960s.

1991

• The Mongolian Academy of Sciences invites the Museum to take part in a joint paleontological expedition to the Gobi desert, the first such expedition to include Western scientists since the Central Asiatic Expedition in the 1920s. These joint expeditions now take place annually.
• A five-story-high Barosaurus cast is installed in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, becoming the world’s highest freestanding dinosaur display.

1992

• The Research Library's new facility opens.
• The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation is established.
• The Hall of Human Biology and Evolution opens on the first floor.

1993

• Ellen V. Futter becomes President of the Museum.

1996

• Major renovations are completed on the fossil halls on the fourth floor of the Museum. Openings during this period include: the Hall of Primitive Mammals, the Paul and Irma Milstein Hall of Advanced Mammals, the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, the Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs, the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Orientation Center, and the Hall of Vertebrate Origins.

1997

• The National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology is created, in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1998

• The Hall of Biodiversity opens on the first floor.

1999

•  The David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth on the first floor is the first component of the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth to open. The customized one-of-a-kind Zeiss Star Projector (Mark IX), the most advanced in the world, is installed in the new Hayden Planetarium.The C. V. Starr Natural Science Building opens.

2000

• The Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space opens to the public. The Arthur Ross Terrace opens adjacent to the Rose Center.

2001

• The Judy and Josh Weston Pavilion opens, adding an entrance to the Museum on Columbus Avenue. The Discovery Room opens on the first floor.

2002

• The Museum opens the renovated Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater. The Museum's main auditorium, restored to its late 19th-century design by Josiah Cleaveland Cady, is a venue for scientific lectures, meetings, public programs, and giant-screen films.

2003

• The Museum opens the restored and renovated Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, which features high-definition video projections, interactive computer stations, hands-on models, 14 renovated classic dioramas, and eight new ocean ecosystem displays. The centerpiece of the hall remains the 94-foot model of a blue whale, now resculpted and repainted to more accurately reflect the appearance of a blue whale at sea. The Museum opens the reconceptualized and renovated Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites. New exhibits, rare Moon and Mars rocks, and over 130 scientifically significant meteorites tell the story of the origins of the solar system.

2004

• The Museum installs a new Earthquake Monitoring Station in the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth. The seismograph records and illustrates real-time seismic data for the public via a global network of seismic stations accessible in real-time to the Museum and other similar institutions.

2005

• The Museum marks the 70th Anniversary of the opening of the original Hayden Planetarium.

2006

• The Museum hosts the premiere of the movie A Night at the Museum, based on the Museum and starring Ben Stiller, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke. Afterward, the Museum inaugurates Night at the Museum Sleepovers for families and groups with children ages 6 to 13.
• The Richard Gilder Graduate School at the Museum is established, authorized by the State of New York to grant the M.Phil, Ph.D., and Honorary degrees and marking the first time an American museum was granted the authority to award its own Ph.D. degree.

2007

• The Museum opens the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, which presents comprehensive evidence of human evolution. The new hall explores the most profound mysteries of humankind: who we are, where we came from, and what is in store for the future of the human species.

2008

• The first cohort of Ph.D. students in the new Comparative Biology program begins graduate studies at the Museum's Richard Gilder Graduate School. 

2009

• The Museum completes a major renovation and restoration project of the landmark 77th Street "castle" facade. 

2011

•  The Master of Arts in Teaching Earth science, a unique residency program based at the Museum, is authorized as a pilot program by the New York State Department of Education. 

2012

• The restored Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals reopen to the public.
• The first cohort of students begins in the Master of Arts in Teaching Earth science residency program.

2015

• Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an exhibition developed with The Carter Center to highlight global efforts to fight infections including Guinea worm disease, opens at the Museum. President Jimmy Carter speaks at the exhibition opening. 

2016

• The Titanosaur, a 122-foot-long cast of a newly discovered dinosaur later formally named Patagotitan mayorum, goes on permanent display on the Museum's fourth floor.

2018

• An updated exhibit about climate change opens in the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth.

2019

• The Museum's 150th celebration opens with T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator, a blockbuster exhibition about the tyrannosaur family.
• The Museum breaks ground on the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation.

2020

• The Museum closes its campus to visitors from March through September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

2021

• The Museum opens a mass New York City vaccination site under the blue whale, which sports a post-vaccination bandage on her fin in support of the COVID-19 vaccination program.
• The Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals open.

2022

• The revitalized Northwest Coast Hall reopens.

2023

• Sean M. Decatur becomes president of the Museum.
• The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opens.

2024

• Halls of Eastern Woodlands and Plains close.

The Museum is committed to providing an environment free from harassment or discrimination in the treatment of individuals with respect to employment, and admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities, and therefore does not permit harassment or discrimination on the basis of  race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender (including sexual harassment), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy and lactation accommodations, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, caregiver, pre-employment marijuana testing, sexual and reproductive health decisions, salary history, or national or ethnic origin, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law.

Additional protections are afforded in employment based on arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, unemployment status, and credit history, in each case to the extent provided by law.

Accessibility / Language Assistance and Limited English Proficiency (“LEP”)

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is the policy of the Museum to provide reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified individual with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship.

Additionally, the Museum strives to make its facilities and programs accessible for everyone, including those individuals who need language assistance, including those who have limited English proficiency.  

Please visit the Accessibility and Language Assistance at the Museum section of our website to learn more about Museum facilities, resources, and programs. If you have any questions about accessibility or LEP at the Museum or would like to request an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected] or 212-769-5250. In addition, if the format of any material on the Museum’s website interferes with your ability to access that material, please contact us for assistance.

Grievance Procedures for Visitors

Visitor inquiries or complaints regarding any form of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation may be directed to [email protected]

If a visitor thinks that they have been denied meaningful access to the Museum’s services, programs, and/or activities, the Grievance Procedures below will be followed pursuant to the Museum’s obligations under relevant federal, state, and local laws.¹

Basis for Complaint

Complaints may be submitted if a visitor believes the Museum failed to provide reasonable language assistance for people of limited English proficiency, or if the visitor believes the Museum committed unlawful discrimination based on the visitor’s disability or other protected characteristic.

How to Submit a Complaint

Send an email to [email protected], or submit a complaint in person at the Museum Security Desk at 79th Street on the First Floor in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda.

Grievance Procedures

Where there is found to be a violation, the Museum will take immediate steps to end the prohibited conduct, to prevent its recurrence, and to remedy its effects. The Museum will address allegations of prohibited conduct as follows:

• Complaints must be submitted in writing (or, if necessary, in a different accessible format) and must contain the following information: (i) the name, address, and phone number of the person(s) submitting the complaint; (ii) a brief description of the nature of the complaint; and (iii) a description of the circumstances giving rise to the complaint, including the date/time/location/name(s) of relevant information and individuals, if available.
• Complaints should be submitted within thirty (30) calendar days after the alleged incident, but early reporting and intervention have proven to be the most effective method of resolving actual or perceived problems. The Museum’s ability to investigate and respond effectively may be reduced with the passage of time and the loss of reliable evidence.
• The Museum will conduct an investigation as may be appropriate based on the receipt of a complaint. The investigation will be prompt and informal, but also thorough. All interested persons will have an opportunity to submit relevant information. Generally speaking, the Museum will contact the person(s) who submitted the complaint within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the complaint to discuss the allegations, gather additional information, if needed, and discuss possible resolutions.
• The Museum will generate and provide a written document summarizing its findings from the investigation, along with any proposed solution(s), generally within sixty (60) calendar days after receipt of the complaint. This timeline may be altered for good cause, such as the complexity of the investigation or availability of witnesses. Any extensions will be communicated to the person(s) who submitted the complaint.
• The person(s) who submitted the complaint may request an appeal of the findings based on either of the following: (1) there is previously unavailable relevant evidence which could significantly impact the outcome of the investigation; or (2) the Museum failed to follow these Grievance Procedures when investigating the complaint. Any appeal must be submitted in writing (or, if necessary, in a different accessible format) within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the findings. The Museum will forward the request to the appropriate Museum administrator(s) for further review (e.g. the Vice President of Human Resources if an employee is alleged to have committed misconduct, or to the Chair of the Accessibility Working Group for issues related to exhibit access or visitor experience issues). The Museum will generally respond to the appeal in writing or another accessible format within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the appeal. Any extensions will be communicated to the person(s) who submitted the complaint and appeal. The appellate decision is final.
• The Museum shall maintain all files and records relating to the submitted complaint consistent with the Museum’s record retention policies.

Individuals May Also File Compaints, As Applicable, With These Agencies:

• U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which has its regional enforcement office at Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th floor, New York, NY 10005-2500, 646-428-3900, or [email protected];
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, located at 33 Whitehall Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10004, 800-669-4000;
• The Department of Justice: Federal Coordination and Compliance Section, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20530; or
• The Department of Justice: Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20530.

1 For visitor complaints against specific employees of the Museum, separate policies and procedures may apply depending on the nature of the complaint and surrounding circumstances.

These Grievance Procedures are subject to change at any time. New policies, procedures, regulations, or revisions may be established by the Museum at any time without advance notice.

Translations

This page was translated into Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian, and Korean on June 10, 2021. Information on this page has been updated since that date.

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American Museum Conflict of Interest Policy

Adopted by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees as of June 14, 2017

This policy has been adopted to address actual and potential conflicts of interest that may be encountered by, or become known to, those entrusted with governance of the Museum, to ensure that they are acting in the best interests of the Museum and to comply with the New York Non-Profit Revitalization Act.

The policy applies to all Trustees, Officers of the Board, members of Committees of the Board and Committees of the Museum (together, “Committee Members”), and to Key Persons (members of the President’s Council). This policy focuses on transactions in which the aforementioned individuals, their Relatives and Related Entities, as defined below, have financial interests, as well as other situations in which an individual’s personal interests may not align with the best interests of the Museum.

 I. Conflicts of Interest A conflict of interest may arise when an individual with a fiduciary duty to the Museum has a personal or professional interest in the outcome of a situation involving the Museum. Upon encountering or becoming aware of such a situation, the individual shall disclose it to the Chair of the Audit Committee, through the Museum’s General Counsel. If the individual is present at any meeting when the matter is considered, he or she shall withdraw from the meeting prior to commencement of deliberations and vote on the matter, and otherwise not make any attempt to improperly influence the deliberation or voting on the matter giving rise to the conflict. These actions, including the Audit Committee’s determination, shall be recorded in the minutes of any meeting considering the matter. Such a situation is not necessarily prohibited or adverse to the Museum and may be permitted or managed to protect against any adverse effect on the Museum, in either case if the Audit Committee determines that it is in the best interests of the Museum to do so at the time of the determination.

II. Related Party Transactions A “Related Party Transaction” is any transaction, agreement or other arrangement with the Museum in which a Trustee, Officer, Committee Member, Key Person, or a Relative or a Related Entity to any of the above, has a financial interest, except that a transaction shall not be a Related Party Transaction if (i) the transaction or the Related Party’s financial interest in the transaction is de minimis; (ii) the transaction would not customarily be reviewed by the Board or boards of similar organizations in the ordinary course of business, and is available to others on the same or similar terms; or (iii) the transaction constitutes a benefit provided to a Related Party solely as a member of a class of the beneficiaries that the Museum intends to benefit as part of the accomplishment of its mission, which benefit is available to all similarly-situated members of the same class, on the same terms. Page 1 of 3 A “Relative” of an individual means (i) his or her spouse or domestic partner as defined in section 2994-A of the New York Public Health Law; (ii) his or her ancestor, brother or sister (whether by whole or half-blood), child (whether natural or adopted), grandchild, great grandchild; or (iii) the spouse or domestic partner of his or her brother, sister, child, grandchild or great grandchild. A “Related Entity” is an entity in which a Trustee, Officer, Committee Member, Key Person (or a Relative of any one of them) has a 35% or greater ownership or beneficial interest (or in the case of a partnership or professional corporation, a more than 5% direct or indirect ownership interest). Any Trustee, Officer, Committee Member, Key Person who encounters or otherwise becomes aware of a proposed Related Party Transaction, shall promptly disclose the material facts of the financial interest, prior to deliberations and decision on the transaction, to the Chair of the Audit Committee through the Museum’s General Counsel, and the transaction will be deferred pending resolution by the Audit Committee. The individual shall disclose in good faith to the Audit Committee the material facts concerning their financial interest. If the individual is present at any meeting when the transaction is considered, he or she shall withdraw from the meeting prior to commencement of deliberations and vote, and otherwise not make any attempt to improperly influence the deliberation or voting on the transaction. These actions, including the Audit Committee’s determination, shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Such a transaction is not necessarily prohibited or adverse to the Museum. A Related Party Transaction may be permitted or managed to protect against any adverse effect on the Museum, provided that the Museum shall not enter into the Related Party Transaction unless the Audit Committee determines that the transaction is fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the Museum at the time of the determination. In addition, if the Audit Committee determines that the financial interest is a substantial financial interest, the Audit Committee must also review alternative transactions, to the extent available, before making its determination. The Audit Committee must also review appropriate comparable data if a transaction pertains to compensation for services, the transfer of property, or other economic benefit to that party or any other person or entity which would be considered a “disqualified person” for purposes of the IRS’ excess benefit transaction rules, to determine that the amount being paid by the Museum does not exceed the value of what the Museum will receive. When considering the comparability of compensation, the types of relevant comparability data which the Audit Committee may consider include, but are not limited to (1) compensation levels paid by similarly-situated organizations, both exempt and non-exempt; (2) the availability of similar services within the same geographic area; (3) current compensation surveys compiled by independent firms; and (4) written offers from similar institutions competing for the same person’s services. When the transaction involves the transfer of real property as consideration, the relevant factors include, but are not limited to (i) current independent appraisals of the property, and (ii) offers received in a competitive bidding process. The Audit Committee is free to consider other indicators of comparability, as it sees fit. Page 2 of 3 The minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee shall record the disclosure of the Related Party Transaction, the terms of the transaction, the interested person’s abstention from consideration of the matter, and basis for the determination, if made, that the transaction is fair, reasonable and in the best interest of the Museum at the time of the determination, and the consideration of alternative transactions or comparability data where required.

 III. Annual Written Disclosures and Statements Each Trustee, Officer and Key Person must, prior to his or her initial election or appointment, and on an annual basis thereafter, disclose the following information to the best of his or her knowledge, in writing to the Secretary of the Board, or his or her designee: (i) any entity of which such person is an officer, director, trustee, member, owner (either as a sole proprietor or a partner), or employee and with which the Museum has a relationship; (ii) any transaction in which the Museum is a participant and in which such person might have a conflicting interest; and (iii) other information about their familial and business relationships as required for purposes of the Museum’s ongoing reporting obligations. In addition, each Trustee, Officer and Key Person must annually sign and submit to the Secretary of the Board, or his or her designee, a statement which affirms such person: (a) has received a copy of this Policy, (b) has read and understands this Policy, and (c) has agreed to comply with this Policy. The Secretary, or his or her designee, will provide a copy of all completed statements to the Chair of the Audit Committee and keep copies in the Museum’s files. 

INTEGRATED CONFLICTS DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ACTIVITIES 

Responsible Office: Office of Grants Responsible Senior Leader: Senior Vice President & Provost Revision Date: January 21, 2025 

I. Policy Statement 

This Integrated Conflicts Disclosure Policy ensures the integrity and objectivity of research, educational, and administrative activities funded by external governmental granting agencies. 

II. Policy Purpose 

The policy aims to prevent actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment that could compromise or appear to compromise the judgment, responsibilities, or decision-making processes within Government-Funded Activities, as defined below. This policy provides comprehensive guidelines to manage and mitigate conflicts of interest, ensuring the integrity and transparency of organizational activities. 

III. Policy 

A. Definitions 

1. Conflict of Commitment (COC): A situation where an individual's external activities interfere with their primary responsibilities to the Government-Funded Activities. This can include activities such as consulting, speaking engagements, or personal business. Conflicts of commitment are often related to time allocation issues. In addition, internal conflicts of commitment can occur when an investigator has claimed or reported the same work to more than one grant or other Museum work commitments, including any supplemental compensation. 

2. Conflict of Interest (COI): A situation where an individual’s personal, professional, or financial interests may compromise or bias their responsibilities in the design, conduct, or reporting of research, educational activities, or administrative decisions funded by external governmental sources. Though the Museum does not have a history of funding companies which in turn sponsor research by Museum staff, or substantial history in patenting research outcomes, other types of conflicts may arise if either of those situations occur. 

3. Government-Funded Activities: Activities, including Sponsored Research, funded, in whole or in part, by an external governmental funding source, including local, state, and federal governmental agencies. Activities include, but are not limited to, education programs, travel, shows projected in the planetarium, etc. 

4. Immediate Family: Individuals whose financial, fiduciary, or personal relationships with an investigator could reasonably create a potential conflict of interest or commitment. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Relatives:
  • Parents, stepparents, and legal guardians. 
  • Siblings, stepsiblings, and their spouses. 
  • Spouse, domestic partner, or same-gender domestic partner. 
  • Children, stepchildren, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and their spouses. 
  • Grandparents, including step-grandparents. 
• Household Members:
  • Any individual residing in the investigator’s household who has a financial or fiduciary relationship with the investigator. 
•  Non-Relative Financial Ties:
  • Individuals who share significant financial interests with the investigator, including:
    • Business partners in external ventures. 
    • Long-term romantic partners, even if not cohabiting. 
    • Close friends or associates with shared financial investments, joint ventures, or fiduciary responsibilities. 
• Other Significant Relationships:
  • Any individual whose financial or professional relationship with the investigator could reasonably appear to influence the investigator’s decision-making, research, or administrative responsibilities. 

5. Investigator: Any individual responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research or other activities funded by external sources, including the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PIs, and other personnel involved in the project. 

6. Foreign Collaboration: An Investigator working with, sponsored by, or otherwise supported by a non-U.S. entity or individual, including but not limited to a company, government, or educational institution. 

7. Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP): A program that recruits science and technology professionals or students from any country, regardless of citizenship or national origin. FTRPs are organized, managed, or funded by foreign governments, entities, or companies, and may offer financial incentives to relocate to the host country. 

8. Malign Foreign Principal: A foreign government, non-state actor, or their proxy that uses subversive, coercive, or criminal methods to influence the United States. The goal is to harm the United States, its institutions, or its political system. The Office of Grants will make a determination if a Foreign Collaboration or FTRP is a Malign Foreign Principal based on federal guidance and regulations. 

9. Significant Financial Interest (SFI): Any financial interest in an enterprise which might reasonably appear to be affected by discoveries in the Investigator’s Government-Funded Activities. These financial interests may be anything of monetary value, including but not limited to, non-Museum salary, payments for services (e.g., consulting fees, honoraria), equity interests (e.g., stocks, stock options, private equity), venture capital, and intellectual property rights (e.g., patents, copyrights, and royalties). SFIs may not include: 

• Salary or remuneration from the Museum. 
• Income from investments where the individual does not directly control investment decisions. 
• Income from seminars, lectures, or limited teaching engagements sponsored by domestic public or nonprofit entities. 
• Income from service on advisory committees or review panels for domestic public or nonprofit entities. 
• Equity interests and payments that meet certain thresholds as outlined by the sponsoring agency. 

10. Sponsored Research: Research funded, in whole or in part, by an external governmental funding source, including local, state, and federal governmental agencies. 

B. Policy Requirements 

1. Disclosure Obligations:

• Each individual responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of Government-Funded Activities must complete a disclosure form, including but not limited to post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, educators, and sub-award recipients. It is the responsibility of the PI or Co-PIs to inform the Office of Grants of all individuals who need to complete a disclosure form. 
• Investigators must disclose any potential conflicts that could reasonably appear to affect the Government-Funded Activities. Disclosures must include the financial interests of the Investigator’s Immediate Family if they could reasonably appear to affect the Government-Funded Activities. 
• Disclosures must be made at the time of proposal submission and updated annually, or as new reportable potential conflicts arise during the period of the award (e.g., changes in financial interests or changes in project roles or collaborations during the fiscal year). 
• NOTE: Disclosure obligations are ultimately subject to the requirements of the sponsoring agency. The Museum may modify disclosure requirements based on the Investigator’s award as needed. 

2. Review and Management of Conflicts:

• The Office of Grants will review all disclosures to determine whether a potential SFI, COI, or COC exists and, if so, working with the appropriate manager and in consultation with the Office of General Counsel, decide on the necessary actions to manage, reduce, or eliminate the conflict. 
• Possible management strategies include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
  • Public disclosure of the COI. 
  • Monitoring by an independent reviewer. 
  • Modification of the research plan. 
  • Change of personnel or responsibilities. 
  • Disqualification from participation in the conflicted portion of the research. 
  • Divestiture of the conflicting financial interest. 
  • Severance of the relationship that creates the conflict. 

3. Review and Management of Foreign Collaboration

• The Office of Grants will review all disclosures to determine whether a Foreign Collaboration is with a Malign Foreign Principal or part of a Malign FTRP. Sources include, but are not limited to:
  • U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control 
  • U.S. General Services Administration Federal Government computer system 
• If a Malign FTRP is identified, the Office of Grants will work with the appropriate manager and in consultation with the Office of General Counsel, decide on the necessary actions to manage, reduce, or eliminate the conflict. 
• Possible management strategies include one or more, but are not limited to:
  • Independent reviewer monitoring. 
  • Modification of the research plan. 
  • Disqualification from participation in the collaboration. 
  • Severance of relationship. 

4. Restrictions and Enforcement:

• No individual may participate in any financial decision regarding a project if the decision is likely to benefit them or a member of their Immediate Family, or if the individual has a family or business relationship with the sponsoring agency. 
• Individuals must not use their position for personal financial gain or for the financial benefit of others. 

C. Notification and Record-Keeping 

1. Before expending any funds, the Office of Grants must notify the relevant funding agency if a potential SFI, COI, or COC cannot be satisfactorily managed. Notifications must include sufficient detail to enable the agency to understand the nature of the conflict and the proposed management actions. 

2. After the commencement of expenditure of award funds, the Office of Grants must notify the relevant funding agency within 60 days of identifying a new disclosure of a potential SFI, COI, or COC that occurred during the term of the award and which was not or cannot be managed, reduced, or eliminated. 

3. The Office of Grants must maintain records of all disclosures and actions taken to resolve any matters for at least three years beyond the termination or completion of the award or until the resolution of any related actions, whichever is longer. 

D. Non-Compliance 

Failure to comply with this policy may result in

• The sponsoring agency:
  • Sending a letter of reprimand to the Investigator. 
  • Requiring special certifications or assurances of compliance. 
  • Imposing restrictions on any grant awards involving the Investigator. 
  •  Withholding payments.
  • Disallowing costs associated with the activity. 
  • Suspending or terminating awards. 
  • Referring the Investigator for suspension or debarment proceedings. 

In addition, the Museum may pursue appropriate disciplinary action. 

IV. Questions or Feedback 

If you have questions about the process or any existing policies or any other matter related to this Policy, please contact the Office of Grants. 

V. Related Resources 

• AMNH Disclosure Form 
• AMNH Proposal Certification Form 
• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Conflict of Interest Policies 
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Conflict of Interest Policies 
• NIH Decision Matrix for Assessing Potential Foreign Interference for Covered Individuals or Senior/Key Personnel 

VI. Revision History Version, Date, Description

4.0 1/2025 Updated to incorporate new regulations

3.0 8/2012

2.0 4/2010

1.0 1/2003

In 1998, the American Museum of Natural History initiated a formal review of the sustainability of its operational practices and convened a cross-departmental Sustainability Practices Committee to research opportunities to increase awareness about sustainability practices at the Museum and to make recommendations for and, where appropriate, implement changes that add or improve upon environmentally sound practices at the Museum.

Through collaboration with government agencies, funders, and others, the Museum has helped adapt its magnificent facility which, in some cases, is more than a century old, to a more sustainable state. Much progress has been made to reduce the Museum's environmental impact, and, as new research and "green" technology advances, there will be future opportunities as well. As an institution committed to science and education, including about the environment, the Museum has an important role in helping to encourage and educate its staff, visitors, and others about how to improve their own sustainability practices.

The guiding principles of the Museum's sustainability efforts are:

• Manage the Museum's operations and facilities in a manner that reduces the Museum's negative impact on the environment.
• Encourage environmentally responsible practices in projects that call for the design, renovation, and/or restoration of the Museum's facilities.
• Develop opportunities for the Museum to inform and encourage its staff and visitors about sustainable practices and the Museum's efforts to lessen its own impact.
• As appropriate, collaborate with external entities such as governments, businesses, citizens groups, schools, and peer institutions to advance awareness of environmental issues and the impact of personal and industrial behavior.
• Continue to monitor the sustainability of the Museum's operations: by assessing the impact of existing and newly initiated practices; by establishing and evaluating sustainability goals; and by looking for new opportunities to improve the Museum's "green" practices.