Welcome to the Conflict of Interest (COI) office.
The Conflict of Interest (COI) Office is responsible for ensuring that the University of Cincinnati complies with federal and state laws, as well as institutional rules and policies governing disclosure of outside activities, conflicts of interest (COI), and conflicts of commitment (COC). The COI Office administers and provides oversight for faculty programs on COI and COC, including disclosure of outside activities, review and evaluation, training and education, management, and oversight.
Policy
UC Policies on COI and COC can be found HERE:
- Conflict of Interest on Externally Funded Projects
- Faculty Outside Activities and Conflict of Commitment
Rules from the Board of Trustees (Board Rules) may also apply. HERE
Disclosure and Review
To protect the integrity of the individual, the institution and the research enterprise, full-time faculty and staff, as well as those who engage in research, scholarship, and/or creative work, are required to submit an annual Outside Activity Report (OAR) at the time of hiring and at least annually thereafter. The OAR will be reviewed by the department or college for conflicts of interest and commitment, and by the Office of Research for conflicts of interest.
The COI office is also responsible for all COI reviews for Sponsored Research Services (SRS), the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Office of General Counsel (OGC), and the University of Cincinnati Research Institute (UCRI).
Training
All faculty and employees who engage in research, scholarship, and/or creative work must complete training in COI and COC in accordance with federal and state regulations. Additionally, researchers must complete COI training every four years or as required by sponsor requirements.
The COI office supports the electronic disclosure system and oversees the OAR Help PORTAL: oarquest@ucmail.uc.edu. We assist employees with getting prior approval for and disclosing outside activities.
We provide guidance on:
Follow this link for additional information on completing and reviewing Outside Activity Reports.