UO's conflict of interest and commitment disclosure process is transitioning to the Conflict of Interest module of the Research Administration Portal (RAP COI) in April 2023. Please visit this page for more details. Email coi@uoregon.edu with any questions.

The UO encourages employees to engage in outside activities that advance the mission of the University. The UO has two distinct policies that require, under certain circumstances, disclosures of outside financial interests and outside activities to prevent or manage conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment. Sponsored researchers are subject to both policies. Research Compliance Services (RCS) supports compliance with both policies.

Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Commitment and Outside Activities - All UO Employees

UO policy on Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Commitment, and Outside Activities ("COI-COC policy") - applies to all UO employees, including sponsored researchers. This policy is tied to Oregon State ethics laws, and was developed to support the UO mission and its employees while ensuring compliance with state statutes.

Financial Conflict of Interest in Research - Sponsored Researchers

UO policy on Financial Conflict of Interest in Research ("FCOI policy") - applies only to individuals responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of sponsored research. This policy is tied to federal financial conflict of interest in research regulations, which have specific training and reporting requirements.

Attention NSF-sponsored researchers: Effective Jan. 30, 2023, the National Science Foundation is amending its definition of “significant financial interest” to include “venture or other capital financing.” This new definition, on page IX-1 of the updated Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, means that faculty with NSF funding who also have equity and/or an ownership interest in a non-publicly traded company, or any other activity or interest for which they have received outside funding, may be required to disclose additional information about the investors in the non-publicly traded company, activity, or interest. Research Compliance Services is monitoring these changes and will be reaching out directly to faculty who may be impacted by these new requirements. Additionally, RCS is working to update internal University of Oregon documents, including UO’s Financial Conflict of Interest in Research policy. For more information, please contact Research Compliance Services.

Attention DOE-sponsored researchers: Researchers applying for or receiving funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) should be aware that DOE issued an Interim Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy for Financial Assistance Dec. 20, 2021, that has additional conflict of interest disclosure requirements that apply to all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) issued on or after that date. Researchers may encounter the new requirements at the time of proposal, after an award has been issued and over the course of a sponsored project. For more information, please read the Financial Assistance Letter (FAL), which summarizes the new requirements, and read FOAs closely, since requirements can vary across award types. Research Compliance Services (RCS) and Sponsored Project Services (SPS) are incorporating some changes into current processes, as necessary, to address some of the interim policy’s standard requirements. Do not hesitate to reach out to RCS or SPS with questions.

As of April 21, 2023 All disclosures for both policies are to be made in the Research Administration Portal Conflict of Interest (RAP COI) system.

For more information about state ethics laws that apply to all UO employees as public employees, visit the UO’s Ethics Office.

If you have questions, please contact Research Compliance Services at coi@uoregon.edu.

Please take a moment to complete the RCS Satisfaction and Accessibility Survey. This survey provides feedback to Research Compliance Services for program evaluation. Your responses can be anonymous, and you are not required to answer all questions. We greatly appreciate your time and feedback!