Know the Code - Principle 4
Conflicts of Interest
In fulfillment of its mission, the University seeks to ensure that decisions relating to the University are made in an impartial manner, considering only the best interest of the University. The University also seeks to preserve and protect the assets of the University and to avoid benefiting or enriching any person or organization in a manner that is inconsistent with the University's mission, tax-exempt status, and legal obligations. Members of the University community are expected to avoid situations in which their financial or other relationships with outside entities could create an actual, apparent, or potential conflict of interest or cause harm to the University's reputation and to comply with the University's conflict of interest policies.
UR community members are expected to:
Accept benefits, awards, and prizes from external entities only in accordance with federal and state laws and University policies and standards;
Disclose relationships with third parties, such as consulting, board membership, or professional services, in accordance with University's policies and processes to ensure objective judgment in purchasing, research, and other University business and to identify any potential or actual conflicts of interest;
Adhere to any management plans created to manage conflicts of interest;
Ensure one's personal relationships do not interfere with objective judgment in decisions affecting University employment or academic progress of any University community member;
Not engage in any other activity that a reasonable person would expect to impair, or that would appear to impair, the independent judgment of the University community member in the performance of his or her public duties.
Key Policies, Statements, and Guidelines
Financial Conflict of Interest for Grant-Funded Research
Research Incentive Accounts Policy
Examples of Prohibited Conduct
- Accepting valuable gifts or favors in return for making purchases or establishing contracts with a particular vendor.
- Participating in the decision-making process for hiring or establishing contracts with a relative.
- Failure to disclose relationships that could impact business decisions.
- Adopting one's own published works as texts without appropriate review.