§ 612.7 - Exemptions.

(a) Exemptions from disclosure. The following types of records or information may be withholdable as exempt in full or in part from mandatory public disclosure:

(1) Exemption 1—5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1). Records specifically authorized and properly classified pursuant to Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy. NSF does not have classifying authority and normally does not deal with classified materials.

(2) Exemption 2—5 U.S.C. 552(b)(2). Records related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of NSF. Examples of records normally exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to: Information relating to position management and manpower utilization, such as internal staffing plans, authorizations or controls, or involved in determination of the qualifications of candidates for employment, advancement, or promotion including examination questions and answers.

(3) Exemption 3—5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3). Records specifically exempted from disclosure by another statute that either requires that the information be withheld in a such way that the agency has no discretion in the matter; or establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to particular types of information to be withheld; and, if enacted after the date of enactment of the OPEN FOIA Act of 2009, October 28, 2009, specifically cites to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3). Examples of records exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to:

(i) Records that disclose any invention in which the Federal Government owns or may own a right, title, or interest (including a nonexclusive license), 35 U.S.C. 205;

(ii) Contractor proposals not specifically set forth or incorporated by reference into a contract, 41 U.S.C. 253b(m);

(iii) Information protected by the Procurement Integrity Act, 41 U.S.C. 423;

(iv) Statistical information protected by section 14(i) of the NSF Act of 1950, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1873(i) and/or the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. 3501 note.

(4) Exemption 4—5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4). Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person, and privileged or confidential. Information subject to this exemption is that customarily held in confidence by the originator(s), including nonprofit organizations and their employees. Release of such information is likely to cause substantial harm to the competitive position of the originator or submitter, or impair the Foundation's ability to obtain such information in the future. NSF will process information potentially exempted from disclosure by Exemption 4 under §612.8.

Examples of records or information normally exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to:

(i) Information received in confidence, such as grant applications, fellowship applications, and research proposals prior to award;

(ii) Confidential scientific and manufacturing processes or developments, and technical, scientific, statistical data or other information developed by a grantee;

(iii) Technical, scientific, or statistical data, and commercial or financial information privileged or received in confidence from an existing or potential contractor or subcontractor, in connection with bids, proposals, or contracts, concerning contract performance, income, profits, losses, and expenditures, as well as trade secrets, inventions, discoveries, or other proprietary data. When the provisions of 41 U.S.C. 253b(m) or 41 U.S.C. 423 are met, certain proprietary and source selection information may also be withheld under Exemption 3;

(iv) Confidential proprietary information submitted on a voluntary basis;

(v) Statements or information collected in the course of inspections, investigations, or audits, when such statements are received in confidence from the individual and retained in confidence because they reveal trade secrets or commercial or financial information normally considered confidential or privileged.

(5) Exemption 5-5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5). Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters which would not be available by law to a private party in litigation with NSF. Factual material contained in such records will be considered for release if it can be reasonably segregated and is not otherwise exempt. Examples of records exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to:

(i) Those portions of reports, memoranda, correspondence, workpapers, minutes of meetings, and staff papers, containing evaluations, advice, opinions, suggestions, or other deliberative material that are prepared for use within NSF or within the Executive Branch of the Government by agency personnel and others acting in a consultant or advisory capacity;

(ii) Advance information on proposed NSF plans to procure, lease, or otherwise acquire, or dispose of materials, real estate, facilities, services or functions, when such information would provide undue or unfair competitive advantage to private interests or impede legitimate government functions;

(iii) Negotiating positions or limits at least until the execution of a contract (including a grant or cooperative agreement) or the completion of the action to which the negotiating positions were applicable. They may also be exempt pursuant to other provisions of this section;

(iv) Trade secret or other confidential research development, or commercial information owned by the Government, where premature release is likely to affect the Government's negotiating position or other commercial interest;

(iv) Records prepared for use in proceedings before any Federal or State court or administrative body;

(vi) Evaluations of and comments on specific grant applications, research projects or proposals, fellowship applications or nominations or other individual awards, or potential contractors and their products, whether made by NSF personnel or by external reviewers acting either individually or in panels, committees or similar groups;

(vii) Preliminary, draft or unapproved documents, such as opinions, recommendations, evaluations, decisions, or studies conducted or supported by NSF;

(viii) Proposed budget requests, and supporting projections used or arising in the preparation and/or execution of a budget; proposed annual and multi-year policy, priorities, program and financial plan and supporting papers;

(ix) Those portions of official reports of inspection, reports of the Inspector General, audits, investigations, or surveys pertaining to safety, security, or the internal management, administration, or operation of NSF, when these records have traditionally been treated by the courts as privileged against disclosure in litigation.

(6) Exemption 6-5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6). Personnel and medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The exemption may apply to protect the privacy of living persons and of living close survivors of a deceased person identified in a record. Information in such files which is not otherwise exempt from disclosure pursuant to other provisions of this section will be released to the subject or to his designated legal representative, and may be disclosed to others with the subject's written consent. Examples of records exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to:

(i) Reports, records, and other materials pertaining to individual cases in which disciplinary or other administrative action has been or may be taken. Opinions and orders resulting from those administrative or disciplinary proceedings shall be disclosed without identifying details if used, cited, or relied upon as precedent;

(ii) Records compiled to evaluate or adjudicate the suitability of candidates for employment, and the eligibility of individuals (civilian or contractor employees) for security clearances, or for access to classified information;

(iii) Reports and evaluations which reflect upon the qualifications or competence of individuals;

(iv) Personal information such as home addresses and telephone and facsimile numbers, private email addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, marital status and the like;

(v) The exemption also applies when the fact of the existence or nonexistence of a responsive record would itself reveal personal, private information, and the public interest in disclosure is not sufficient to outweigh the privacy interest.

(7) Exemption 7-5 U.S.C. 552(b)(7). Records or information compiled for civil or criminal law enforcement purposes, including the implementation of Executive Orders or regulations issued pursuant to law. This exemption may exempt from mandatory disclosure records not originally created, but later gathered, for law enforcement purposes.

(i) This exemption applies only to the extent that the production of such law enforcement records or information:

(A) Could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings;

(B) Would deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication;

(C) Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy of a living person, or living close survivors of a deceased person identified in a record;

(D) Could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, including a source within the Federal Government, or a State, local, or foreign agency or authority, or any private institution, that furnished information on a confidential basis; and information furnished by a confidential source and obtained by a criminal law enforcement authority in a criminal investigation;

(E) Would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law, or

(F) Could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.

(ii) Examples of records normally exempt from disclosure include, but are not limited to:

(A) The identity and statements of complainants or witnesses, or other material developed during the course of an investigation and all materials prepared in connection with related government litigation or adjudicative proceedings;

(B) The identity of firms or individuals investigated for alleged irregularities involving NSF grants, contracts or other matters when no indictment has been obtained, no civil action has been filed against them by the United States, or no government-wide public suspension or debarment has occurred;

(C) Information obtained in confidence, expressed or implied, in the course of a criminal investigation by the NSF Office of the Inspector General.

(iii) The exclusions contained in 5 U.S.C. 552(c)(1) and (2) may also apply to these records.

(8) Exemption 8-5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8). Records contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of any agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions.

(9) Exemption 9-5 U.S.C. 552(b)(9). Records containing geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells.

(b) Deletion of exempt portions and identifying details. Any reasonably segregable portion of a record will be provided to requesters after deletion of the portions which are exempt. Whenever any final opinion, order, or other materials required to be made available relates to a private party or parties and the release of the name(s) or other identifying details will constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, the record shall be published or made available with such identifying details left blank, or shall be published or made available with obviously fictitious substitutes and with a notification such as the following: Names of parties and certain other identifying details have been removed (and fictitious names substituted) in order to prevent a clearly unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of the individuals involved.