Introduction to Institutional Conflict of Interest

About Conflict of Interest

Increasingly, university researchers have ties to private industry through privately-funded research, consulting practices, or individual entrepreneurial activity. All of these ties present a potential for a financial conflict of interest. Not all conflicts of interest are financial in nature, however. Non-financial conflicts might be brought about by personal values and beliefs, a desire for career advancement and enhanced reputation, the need for publishable results, conflicting time commitments, and personal and family relationships. The challenge for researchers today is balancing and managing all of the conflicting interests that have the potential to influence the conduct of research.

An individual conflict of interest has been defined in PSU Policy RA 20 as a situation in which financial or business considerations may compromise, or have the appearance of compromising, an employee's professional judgment.

The fact that the issue of conflict of interest is becoming ever more prominent in the research community and in the media makes it especially important for researchers here at Penn State to be sure they identify a potential conflict, disclose the conflict appropriately, and take any necessary steps to manage the conflict adequately.

Please note that there are two separate types of Conflict of Interest:

To learn more details about the disclosure requirements of each, click on the links provided above.