Conflicts of interest

• University policy and guidance

  Policy

  Researchers must comply with relevant University policy (the ‘Declaration of Interests’ policy), the decisions of any ethics committee, and any external requirements relating to conflicts of interest, such as those of funding bodies.

  Guidance

  The most important aspect in managing any conflicts of interest is to determine early where or when these might occur, plan to avoid these conflict, and, in cases where a conflict occurs, effectively manage the conflict. Therefore, all researchers should actively identify, immediately declare and then address any real or potential conflicts of interest - whether legal, ethical, moral, financial, personal or other nature - so that it does not become a complicating or actionable issue.

  Where you have identified a conflict that poses a risk of significantly compromising the validity or integrity of the research, you should either not proceed with the research or excuse yourself from participating in the research. All other conflicts may be adequately addressed through declarations or special safeguards relating to the conduct and reporting of the research.

• Financial conflicts of interest: United States Public Health Services funding

  All researchers receiving funding from the United States Public Health Services (including as a subrecipient) are bound by the relevant financial conflict of interest policy (PDF) . 

  Researchers applying for funding from, or funded by, the United States Public Health Services (for example, NIH) must complete the following:

  • a 15-minute online training course
  • Financial conflict of interest disclosure form (Word)

  Researchers must submit the training certificate and disclosure form to researchintegrity@st-andrews.ac.uk, copying in their RBD (Research Business Development) contact. Current staff can review the current list of RBD contacts.  

  Any allegations of research misconduct involving research supported by this funding must be reported to the University (via email at researchintegrity@st-andrews.ac.uk), who will then notify the United States Office of Research Integrity and work with them to ensure that the process for responding to the allegation of research misconduct is consistent with US federal regulations.