Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Rationale
The university of Cincinnati is committed to maintaining the
highest ethical standards in research conducted by its faculty and staff by
identifying potential financial conflicts of interest and taking the necessary
actions to manage, reduce, or eliminate them.
(B) Scope
This rule applies to all university faculty and staff involved
in designing, conducting, or reporting research as part of their university
duties.
(C) Reporting of
financial interests
(1) Employees engaged in
research shall fully disclose all financial and other interests on an outside
activity reporting form "OAR" as required by rule
3361:30-21-01
of the Administrative Code and any policies issued by the president of the
university pursuant to that rule.
(2) Any university official or committee
charged with the review, approval, or oversight of research for the purpose of
identifying and managing conflicts of interest shall have access to the "OAR"
forms of university faculty and staff engaged in research to the extent
necessary to conduct such review, approval, or oversight.
(D) Training
All employees engaged in research must complete training
regarding the university's conflict of interest policies and the employee's
responsibilities thereunder prior to proposing or engaging in research.
(E) Standing committee on
conflicts of interest
(1) The president of the
university will appoint a standing committee on conflicts of interest. The
committee shall be composed of seven members serving three year terms with
staggered rotation. The members shall have sufficient breadth of research
experience and knowledge of university policies and federal and state laws
governing conflicts of interest in research to provide substantive analyses of
the activities and relationships submitted for review. Four members shall be
appointed by the president and three shall be selected by the faculty senate.
The president shall appoint two faculty members in the college of medicine who
engage in research and two faculty members from the college of engineering who
engage in research. The president may also appoint non-voting ex-officio
members. The committee shall adopt written procedures to govern the submission
and review of potential conflicts of interest, subject to the approval of the
president and the vice president for research.
(2) The vice president for research or the
dean of any college may refer potential conflicts of interest to the committee
to review. Where the committee determines that a conflict exists, the committee
shall provide to the vice president for research written recommendations to
manage, reduce, or eliminate the conflict of interest. The vice president or
the vice president's designee shall issue a decision adopting, rejecting or
modifying the determination and recommendations of the committee.
(3) A researcher who disagrees with the
decision of the vice president for research may appeal by delivering a written
notice of appeal to the vice president within fourteen calendar days of the
date of the decision is sent to the researcher.
(a) Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the
vice president for research shall appoint a three member ad hoc committee to
consider the appeal.
(b) Within
thirty days of its appointment, the ad hoc committee shall complete its review
and send its recommendation to the vice president for research or the vice
president's designee, who shall make a final decision and send written
notification to the individual and to the standing committee.
(c) The vice president for research shall
adopt written policies governing the appeal process.
(F) Compliance with federal law
The vice president for research shall promulgate policies as
necessary to comply with federal laws governing conflicts of interest in
research funded or regulated by the federal government.
Replaces: 3361:10-17-08
