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Policy on Conflict of Commitment and Interest

Appendix


Current University documents, state law and federal regulations that impact this Policy include:

University Documents

"No person employed by the University shall have any interests incompatible with that person's obligations to the University" (Article IX, Section 5b. of the Statutes);

"The responsibilities to the University of full-time members of the academic staff are fulfilled by the performance, appropriate to rank and terms of appointment, of teaching, scholarly research, continuing education and public service, and committee work and special assignments. Such staff members may carry on some professional or business activities of an income-generating character so long as such activities are compatible and not in conflict with University interests. The head of the department of which the employee is a member should know and approve of these activities outside the University" (Article IX, Section 5d. of the Statutes);

"Procurement contracts involving expenditures of University funds are governed by Regulations Governing Procurement and Bidding at State Systems Universities in Illinois as adopted and amended from time to time by the Board of Trustees. Other University contracts may be awarded to any business entity, including those in which a University officer or employee (or members of their immediate families) serve as major officers or primary employees thereof, or hold a significant equity interest therein, if such contract is deemed in the best interests of the University, and has the approval of the President or the President's designee. Documentation of such approval shall be filed with the contract" (Article II, Section 4(d) of the General Rules); and

"Employees engaged in external consulting work or business are responsible for ensuring that agreements emanating from such work are not in conflict with University Policy or with the University's contractual commitments. Such employees should make their University obligations known to others with whom they make such agreements and should provide other parties to such agreements with a statement of University policies on inventions and discoveries" (Article III., Section 1(g)(3) of the General Rules).

State Law

110 Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) 100/1

No full time member of the faculty of any State-supported institution of higher learning may undertake, contract for or accept anything of value in return for research or consulting services for any person other than that institution on whose faculty he s erves unless (a) he has the prior written approval of the President of that institution, or a designee of such President, to perform the outside research or consulting services, such request to contain an estimate of the amount of time which will be involved, and (b) he submits to the President of that institution or such designee, annually, a statement of the amount of actual time he has spent on such outside research or consulting services.

Federal Regulations

Current regulations include those from the National Science Foundation and proposed regulations from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Federal Register, Vol. 59, No. 123/Tuesday, June 28, 1994 (pages 33308-33312) and Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 132, Tuesday, July 11, 1995 (pages 35820-35823).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Investigator Financial Disclosure Policy has the following primary features:

A. A requirement that any NSF grantee employing more than fifty persons maintain "an appropriate written and enforced policy on conflict of interests."

B. Minimum requirements for what must be in an institution's policy. These include (a) limited and targeted financial disclosure, (b) designation of a person(s) to review the disclosures and resolve actual or potential problems revealed, (c) enforcement mechanisms, and (d) arrangements for informing NSF of conflicts issues that are not resolved to the satisfaction of the institution.

Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 132 Tuesday, July 11, 1995 (pages 35810-35819)

The Public Health Service (PHS) issued rules requiring Institutions that apply for research funding from the PHS to assume responsibility for ensuring that the financial interests of the employees of the Institution do not compromise the objectivity with which such research is designed, conducted, or reported.

Under the PHS rules, investigators are required to disclose to an official(s) designated by the Institution a listing of Significant Financial Interests. The institutional official(s) will review these disclosures in accordance with an administrative pro cess to be established by each institution. Following this review, the institutional official(s) will determine the acceptability of the reported financial interests and act to protect PHS-funded research from any bias that is reasonably expected to aris e from those interests.

 

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1. For example, in the case of a contract that requires service over 9 months but is paid over 12 months, conflict of commitment is relevant only during the 9-month service period.
2. In 1995, federal regulations define "significant" as financial interest in business enterprises or entities that exceeds $10,000 or represents more than 5% ownership.

3. These delegations by the President and Vice President are subject to change at their discretion.

4. Procedures (charges, hearings and appeals) for dismissal of a tenured faculty member shall be as specified in Article X of the Statutes.

 

 

 

 
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Policies
Conflict of Interest
 -  Preamble
 -  Overview
 -  Policy
 -  Procedures
 -  Appendix
 -  Annual Disclosure Process
 -  Resources and Information
 

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Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
Fourth Floor, Swanlund Administration Building, MC-304
601 E. John Street, Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217-333-0030

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