Conflicts of Interest Relating to Research and Intellectual Property Matters
All persons associated with UMass Lowell, including faculty, students and staff, are subject to the Board of Trustees adopted
Policy on Conflicts of Interest Relating to Intellectual Property and Commercial Ventures (COI Policy). This policy addresses conflicts involving students, use of UMass Lowell facilities, intellectual property developed at UMass Lowell, and research activities.
Consulting and Outside Activities
From time to time, faculty engage in consulting and other outside activities that come short of the conflicts of interest covered under the COI Policy. These activities may be engaged in so long as faculty (includes all lecturers and persons primarily involved in teaching and research) comply with the requirements of the Board of Trustees adopted
Policy on Faculty Consulting and Outside Activities.
Any consulting agreement should have attached to it the following University form of Uniform Consulting Rider. The purpose of the rider is to avoid intellectual property disputes between the University and outside companies.
[IP Consulting Rider]Federal Financial Interest Disclosure and Reporting
Financial interests that may affect the design, conduct or reporting of Federal sponsored research are required to be disclosed by you in the proposal submission process. The Investigator Significant Financial Interest Disclosure Form for Externally Funded Grants and Contracts must be completed. The specific disclosure and reporting requirements varies by Federal agency. For more guidance about the NSF rules, please refer to Award and Administration Guide Ch. IV.A. For guidance about NIH regulations please refer to the
NIH FAQs.
Disclosure Form
For outside activities that do not involve Federal sponsored programs or which are not covered by the COI Policy, please complete the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement and submit it to your Department Chair or Dean.
[Disclosure Form]For conflicts of interest covered by the COI Policy or involving Federal sponsored programs, please complete the Investigator Significant Financial Interest Disclosure Form for Externally Funded Grants and Contracts and return to the Office of Research Administration.
[IS Financial Interest Disclosure Form]State Ethics Law Ch. 268A
All outside activities and conflicts of interest that are not properly disclosed and handled in accordance with the COI Policy or the Policy on Faculty Consulting and Outside Activities ARE subject to State Ethics Law Ch. 268A. All proposed activities must be disclosed and approved BEFORE they are initiated. Violations of the State Ethics Law can lead to civil fines and criminal prosecution.
Effective in 2010,
mandatory online training must be completed by all UMass Lowell employees every two years. This training is for State Ethics Law compliance. More information is available from the Human Resources Department.