Role of COI Committee

UNCG is required by federal regulations to evaluate, manage, and report conflicts of interest in instances where federal funding is involved.

The main function of the Conflict of Interest committee is to review COI cases that relate to research and other forms of scholarship. While the COI Committee primarily reviews COI cases related to externally funded projects, the committee also may review research-related COI when external funding is not involved. This is most likely to happen when human subjects research is involved. This committee serves in an advisory role to the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Economic Development.

Members of the committee are selected to be representative of the disciplines, but also knowledgeable of the topic at hand (including the COI regulations of not only the UNC system and UNCG, but also multiple federal agencies). Staff in the Office of General Counsel, Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Integrity, the Office of Innovation Commercialization, and other offices provide additional expertise and consultation.

There are, of course, situations that arise related to COI and EPA employees that are not research related.  For example, situations involving faculty who own or have an interest in outside businesses that could overlap with their UNCG responsibilities other than research (teaching or their administrative duties) would likely be handled differently. These “administrative cases” are typically reviewed at the administrative level (department chair, members of the Provost’s Office, general counsel, and members of ORED, depending on the situation) in conversation with the faculty/staff member.