Personal Social Media Use for Individuals at NIH

Official social media accounts for NIH individuals are restricted to IC Directors only; other staff may have personal social media accounts. Official social media accounts are federal property and official government records and, once established, cannot be changed to personal accounts.  

As a member of the NIH community, you have a responsibility to uphold the public trust, even in a personal capacity. Social media can still present a risk to yourself and the agency. If you do something that violates NIH policy (e.g., harassment, lobbying, improper use in research) on your personal social media account that involves your employment at NIH, there could be employment actions.

This guidance applies to:

  • All NIH staff (full-time employees, part-time employees, contractors, fellows, volunteers)
  • NIH staff interest groups
  • All social media tools, current and emerging

Know the rules:

What to do:

  • Use a personal email account to set up and identify your personal social media account(s) to avoid the appearance that you represent government policy or opinion.
  • Include a disclaimer, e.g. “All views/posts are my own.” or “This is the personal page of [X].”
  • Personal accounts may include your NIH affiliation in the bio along with other information.
    • For example, your bio/personal information could be: “Avid hiker. Cat mom of 2. Senior Investigator at NIH/NHLBI. All opinions are my own.”

What not to do:

  • Do not use your nih.gov email address or NIH phone number to set up any personal social media account(s).
  • Do not use “NIH”, an NIH IC or office name, or lab name in your username, handle, or display name.
  • Do not create or use username, handle, or display name that incorporates “NIH,” an NIH IC or office name, or lab name, or anything that is confusingly similar to these names.
  • Do not feature or use the NIH or associated ICO logos or trademarks on your personal social media account, e.g., as the profile image, cover image, or otherwise.
  • Do not incorporate the NIH or associated ICO logos or trademarks to create new logos on your personal social media account, e.g., as the profile image, cover image, or otherwise.
  • Do not feature NIH imagery (e.g., a photo of an NIH laboratory or building) on your personal social media account, e.g., as the profile image or cover image.
  • Do not divulge classified, confidential, privileged, or sensitive information, materials, photos, or videos, including attorney-client privileged communications (written or otherwise).
  • Do not use other government personnel to manage your personal social media account, consistent with government-wide regulations and relevant agency policy.

FAQ:

Q: Can I post about my NIH work and/or research on my personal social media account?

A: Yes, you can discuss your NIH work and engage with colleagues in your field, as long as you strictly follow the guidance on this page and the NIH Social Media Policy (MC 2809). Staff must be particularly vigilant to avoid disclosing any classified, confidential, privileged, or sensitive information.

Q: I work in an NIH laboratory, and I want to promote my lab’s research. Can I set up an NIH social media account for the lab?

A: No. Intramural entities, including but not limited to NIH laboratories, centers, and sections, may not have social media accounts.

Intramural research entities are encouraged to share content with the primary IC social media account administrators for amplification and posting on the IC’s official channels. Intramural scientists should work with their communications office to share scientific content, e.g., new publications, visuals, events, or news items.

Q: What about LinkedIn, where my NIH employment is obvious? Is that a violation of this guidance?

A: Personal LinkedIn pages are acceptable uses of social media and an employee listing their NIH employment on LinkedIn does not violate this policy.

Q: Can I receive support from my IC’s communication office for my personal account?

A: No. Communication offices across NIH are responsible for managing official NIH social media only. You can, however, work with your IC’s communications office to share scientific content for promotion on the official channels, e.g., new publications, visuals, events, or news items.

This page last reviewed on July 5, 2024