The COI Program ensures integrity of research during all phases (e.g. design, conduct and reporting) and preserves the public trust in the university while also promoting entrepreneurship among the research community. The COI Program receives disclosures from investigators who conduct research at USF (human subjects, animal and basic science) and develops management plans with safeguards to ensure that the financial or personal interests disclosed by those investigators will not bias the design, conduct or reporting of the research. The COI Committee reviews disclosures and management plans and makes determinations regarding research-related conflicts of interest. Individual conflicts of interest may arise from consulting income, speakers' bureau fees, intellectual property and equity interests, among others. In addition, institutional conflicts of interest may arise if rights of related intellectual property are assigned to USF, a USF senior official has related intellectual property or other related financial interest or USF owns equity in a related entity.
Additional information on thresholds for disclosure, requirements for federally funded researchers, the disclosure process and contact information is available on the COI Program website.
