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COI/COC Disclosure Reference Guide

As part of the MSU Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure process, if you are required to complete a COI disclosure in Kuali Research, you are responsible for disclosing activities from you and your Immediate Family Member (as defined in the Outside Activities and Conflict of Commitment in MSU’s Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Identification and Disclosure policy) when the outside activity is related to your Institutional Responsibilities and is in the general area of expertise for which you are employed by MSU or the outside activity has the potential to affect your professional judgment or responsibilities to the University (e.g. research or teaching responsibilities).

Typically outside activities or interests can be grouped into the different types outlined below. Each section includes particular activities that need to be disclosed and others that do not. Use the chart below as guidance when disclosing your outside activities in your COI disclosure and the Conflict of Commitment form in Kuali Build. Sponsored program activities that were routed in the Research Administration System (Kuali Research) do not need to be disclosed in the COI system or the COC form.

If you participate in federal research: the research activities that you disclose in your COI or COC form may also need to be disclosed in your biographical sketch or current and pending support form. For guidance on what needs to be disclosed, please review the Federal Disclosure Table (PDF) and MSU’s Research Security Training and Disclosures webpage.

Those activities marked with a * in the table below require prior approval as described in Section V. Outside Activities and Conflict of Commitment in MSU’s Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Identification and Disclosure policy.

Activity Disclose Exceptions/Not subject to disclosure

Paid and unpaid activities/relationships
  • Consulting*
  • Advisory board role (e.g. Scientific Advisory Board) *
  • Board of Directors*
  • Leadership position in professional society
  • Speaking engagements (with exceptions)
  • Appointment or employment/visiting scholar with an external entity*
  • External research collaboration with an associated time commitment*
  • Speaking engagement and/or travel that is:
    • Supported by a U.S. federal, state, or local government agency.
    • Supported by a U.S. institution of higher education as defined at 20 U.S.C.1001(a) (PDF), U.S. academic teaching hospital, U.S. medical center, or research institute that is affiliated with a U.S. institution of higher education.
  • Domestic professional society activities including:
    • Membership
    • Service that is not paid nor involves paid travel
    • Speaking at or travel to national meetings that is unpaid
  • Activities or relationships unrelated to your MSU expertise

International engagements
  • Participation in a foreign government sponsored talent recruitment program*
  • Non-domestic affiliations, appointments, or employment with/from a non-domestic entity (e.g. having an adjunct, honorary, or other title with a non-domestic organization)*
  • Travel reimbursed or paid by a non-domestic entity
  • Research support/receiving a grant from a non-domestic entity that was not routed and approved through MSU’s Office of Sponsored Programs or Business Connect*
  • Grant reviewer for a non-domestic-entity or organization
  • Collaborations with non-domestic individuals on activities or research that is part of your MSU role (You may be required to report this in your Current & Pending and Other Support documentation)

 

Other Financial/Ownership Interests (e.g. Equity, Stock Options)
  • Company ownership, including startup companies*
  • Holding equity in a private or publicly traded entity (E.g. investor or stockholder in a company)

 
  • Ownership interests unrelated to your MSU responsibilities or research
  • Mutual funds, retirement accounts, and other investments where you do not directly control the investment decisions.

Intellectual Property (IP)
  • Income from IP such as licensing income, royalties, milestones, options fees.
  • Royalties paid by MSU

Travel & Gifts
  • Personally reimbursed travel over $5k from a single domestic entity in a 12 month period
  • Any amount of personally reimbursed travel that was paid by a non-domestic entity.

 

Travel that MSU reimbursed or paid for.

  • Travel reimbursed or sponsored by a Federal, state or local government agency or an Institution of higher education as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001(a), an academic teaching hospital, a medical center, or a research institute that is affiliated with an Institution of higher education.
  • Domestic travel under $5,000 in a 12 month period from a single domestic entity
  • Gifts made to MSU
  • Effort or travel on research or sponsored project routed through MSU (e.g. sponsored research through MSU’s Office of Sponsored Programs, Business Connect)

Other
  • Doing research outside of MSU (that is not administered through MSU’s Office of Sponsored Programs or Business Connect)*
  • Editor of journals/publications not routed through MSU
  • Peer review of articles and grant proposals
  • Grant reviewer for U.S. governmental agencies (any dollar amount) or U.S. non-profit entities (and you receive under $5,000 in a 12-month period from a single entity)