Outside professional activity of a faculty member often takes the form of consulting. Consulting that does not interfere with the faculty member's teaching and research obligations is supported and encouraged by the Health Science Center. Faculty consulting provides opportunities for Health Science Center researchers to confront "real world" challenges, identify and work with practicing industrial collaborators, and contribute expertise that helps fuel economic development. These agreements, however, are personal agreements and, if not handled properly, can create risk as well as conflict with prior obligations of the faculty to the Health Science Center. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) provides this guidance as an informal but hopefully helpful aid to those HSC employees who do get involved with consulting activities. OSP will provide informal and confidential reviews of consulting agreements upon request by a faculty member. This review, however, should not be construed as legal advice and, when in doubt, the services of a qualified attorney should be sought.

Faculty are also advised that personal consulting agreements may result in conflict of interest situations with their university employment and, as such, must be disclosed to their respective department chairman.

The OSP recommends adding the following statement to any consulting agreement that a faculty member may negotiate:

"Consultant is an employee of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and has responsibilities and research projects resulting from his/her activities as such an employee. Not withstanding any other provisions in this Agreement, the Company shall not have any rights to any work product, intellectual property and/or other works or materials created by Consultant as a result of employment with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio."