Conflict of Interest
Guidance: Equity Interests in For Profit Companies
There is no prohibition against faculty and other researchers (collectively referred to as “Faculty”) holding equity in for profit companies. However, such equity is subject to disclosure to the Health Science Center through the Annual COI Report as well as any time such equity increases significantly or is with a company in which the faculty member also has research funding.
However, faculty who receive equity from a “start-up” venture (relatively newly formed, privately held, for profit companies that are generally based on intellectual property developed at the Health Science Center) must disclose such equity upon acquisition to the Office of the Vice President for Research. Faculty must recognize that their ability to conduct research at the Health Science Center and funded by that venture, especially research involving human subjects will be restricted because of the conflict created by their ownership interest in the sponsoring entity.