Under the UO’s Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Commitment, and Outside Activities Policy, which applies to all UO employees, some outside activities and financial interests require disclosure and approval.

Under the UO’s Financial Conflict of Interest in Research Policy, which applies only to researchers who receive sponsored awards, other types of outside activities and financial interests must be disclosed. If your independent consulting or outside activity results in more than $5,000 in compensation within a 12-month period or if the work is done in exchange for equity interest, disclosure is required under this policy.

This checklist is designed to help UO employees assess steps that may be required prior to working as an independent consultant and/or prior to accepting compensation from outside the university.

Disclosures under both policies are submitted via a disclosure profile in the Research Administration Portal (link prompts you to enter your Duck ID).

Download Checklist

Even if disclosure and approval is not required, employees must still abide by some general guidelines. Employees may not:

• Make private, commercial use without permission of UO supplies, facilities, equipment, employees, records, intellectual property, or any other UO resources​
• Use intellectual property from the employee’s UO position in the outside activity without a license agreement
• Use intellectual property from the employee’s outside activity in their UO position without a written agreement
• Use non-public information accessed as a UO employee to obtain a private financial benefit​
• Engage in activities that substantially interfere with the employee’s duties to the UO
• For full-time, faculty, time commitments to outside activities cannot exceed one day in every seven-day week, generally averaged over a quarter. Prorated by FTE.​
• The one-day-in-seven principle does not apply to UO holidays or approved leave.
• For non-month employees, the one-day-in-seven principle does not apply to summer months in which there is no UO FTE or during sabbaticals.​
• For hourly and part-time employees, outside activities performed outside of that employment are not considered a conflict of commitment​ 

Questions about either policy, whether disclosure is required, or how to disclose can be directed to coi@uoregon.edu or 541-346-6200.