COI Tips

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest in Research

A conflict of interest arises when an individual’s conduct or professional relationship with entities outside of the university begin to create a divide between the responsibilities they owe to the institution and those related to the external interests. With respect to research, a potential conflict of interest may introduce implicit or explicit bias into the design, conduct or interpretation of research findings or raise questions about possible bias. Such conflicts undermine the public trust in the objectivity of academic research, and Conflicts of Interest in Research risk placing both the institution and the investigator in the spotlight of public scrutiny. As stated in TTUHSC EP OP 73.09, any individual performing research activities at TTUHSC El Paso is charged with the duty to avoid or minimize the opportunity for such conflicts, to disclose any conflicts as they develop, and to comply faithfully with the university in divesting from those conflicts or managing them as deemed appropriate.

The following guidelines provide useful information regarding how to avoid conflicts of interest in research. For questions on topics or situations not described below, please contact Barbara Castellanos at 915-215-4679 or barcaste@ttuhsc.edu .

Consulting Work

General Consulting Work; Speaking Engagements; Speaker’s Bureau:

  • Keep up-to-date records of any remuneration that you receive for these activities for accurate and complete reporting in annual university disclosures.
  • Ensure that your consulting or speaking activities do not violate university or federal regulations.
  • Do not perform these activities for any company in which you are currently involved in research. This is a conflict of interest.
  • Your relationship/agreement with a company does not grant them any claim or intellectual property rights to discoveries made during your activities as an employee of the university, including those made while using university resources or facilities.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

Service on Medical Advisory Boards:

  • Keep up-to-date records of any remuneration, stock, or other equity that you receive for these activities for accurate and complete reporting in annual university disclosures.
  • Ensure that your consulting or speaking activities do not violate university or federal regulations.
  • Do not perform these activities for any company in which you are currently involved in research. This is a conflict of interest.
  • Your relationship/agreement with a company does not grant them  any claim or intellectual property rights to  discoveries made during your activities as an employee of the university, including  those made while using university resources or facilities.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

Service on Boards of Directors:

  • Be as thorough as possible when disclosing your position to the university as certain roles are disallowed depending on the degree of implied fiduciary and/or managerial duty.
  • Keep up-to-date records of any remuneration, stock, or other equity that you receive for these activities for accurate and complete reporting in annual university disclosures.
  • Ensure that your consulting or speaking activities do not violate university or federal regulations.
  • Do not perform these activities for any company in which you are currently involved in research. This is a conflict of interest.
  • Your relationship/agreement with a company does not grant them  any claim or intellectual property rights to  discoveries made during your activities as an employee of the university, including  those made while using university resources or facilities.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

Investment, Entrepreneurship, Ownership

Stock or Equity Holding

  • Keep up-to-date records of the valuation of your holdings for accurate and complete reporting in annual university disclosures.
  • Divest from companies that sponsor or are otherwise involved in an area in which you conduct or plan to conduct research.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

Licensing TTUHSC El Paso Intellectual Property

  • The rights to all intellectual property (including all forms of patented and unpatented inventions, tangible research property, copyrightable works, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets) created as part of your university responsibilities or developed using university resources belong to the Texas Tech University System per Regents’ Rules 10.03.1. The only exceptions are specific items that are exempted by contract or research agreement.
  • The sole decision-making authority in regards to the patenting and licensing of TTU intellectual properties rests with the Office of Research Commercialization (ORC).
  • The ORC will prevent the creation of a conflict of interest by avoiding the licensure of TTU System intellectual properties to companies in which the inventor has a significant investment or financial interest.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

For further guidance on intellectual property, patents, and licensing, please the visit the Office of Research Commercialization.

Company Founder

  • Keep up-to-date records of the valuation of your financial holdings in the company; be fully accurate regarding your position and duties when reporting in annual university disclosures.
  • Be aware that your involvement in research as certain roles will be disallowed due to your implied fiduciary and/or managerial duty.
  • Ensure that your consulting activities do not violate university or federal regulations.
  • Distance your activities as an agent of the company to the fullest extent possible from your duties and role as an employee of the university.
  • Your position in the university cannot grant your company undue advantage (e.g., access to study results, unless they are the sponsors of that study), nor does it grant the company any claim or intellectual property rights to  discoveries made during your  activities as an employee of the university, including  those made while using university resources or facilities.
  • Relationships with external entities must be disclosed accurately and completely in relevant publications or presentations.

Sponsored or Reimbursed Travel

Externally Funded Travel

  • If the travel and associated costs are being reimbursed to you, maintain records of the amount for accurate and complete annual disclosure to the university.
  • If the travel and associated costs are being paid directly by a sponsor, maintain a log of length of stay, transportation arrangements, per-diem etc., in order to provide an accurate description and estimation of the trips cost in annual disclosures.
  • Do not accept protracted or luxurious trips, as they are subject to conflict of interest rules and regulations.