Definitions

Conflict of Interest:

As defined by the National Institutes of Health, a "conflict of interest" arises when an employee is involved in a particular matter as part of his/her official duties with an outside organization with which he/she also has a financial interest, or one which is imputed to him/her, i.e., the employee's spouse, minor children, an organization in which the employee serves as officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee, or a person or organization with which the employee is negotiating for prospective or has an arrangement for prospective employment. Conflicts of interest can arise out of the fact that a mission of the university includes faculty consulting and the commercialization of technologies derived from faculty research; however, an individual's actions or decisions cannot be determined by consideration of personal financial gain.

Conflict of Commitment:

Whenever an individual's outside activities exceed the permitted limits (normally one day per week), or whenever a full-time faculty member's/researcher's primary professional loyalty is not to The University of Texas at Austin, a conflict of commitment exists.

Persons Responsible for the Design, Conduct, or Reporting of Research:

The federal guidelines and the university’s policy apply to “persons responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research.” In some cases, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may be responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research, such that they are considered to be an investigator under this policy and may be required to complete disclosure statements. In any situation, it is the responsibility of the principal investigator to ensure that students and postdoctoral fellows are not diverted from their primary educational mission. 

Significant Financial Interests:

Financial interests in business enterprises or entities if the value of such interests: 1) exceeds $10,000 per annum of salary, fees, and other continuing payments; or 2) represents more than a five percent (5%) ownership interest in any one enterprise or entity when aggregated for the investigator and the investigator's spouse and dependent children.