Faculty Outside Activities and Disclosure Guide
Faculty may use this resource to help determine if an activity requires disclosure and / or prior approval per policy AC80 and RP06. This resource includes but is not limited to activities that require disclosure, prior approval, or further review under both policies. Be sure to review any college-specific guidelines. If you have questions about which activities require review and approval under either policy, please email coinsadmin@psu.edu. College of Medicine Investigators: email COIprogram@pennstatehealth.psu.edu with questions and be sure to review the College of Medicine's Conflict of Interest webpage.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Peer Review of articles and grant proposals1 |
No | No | Yes2 |
| Academic Program Review at another institution 1 | No | No |
Yes2 Exclusion: Do not disclose income from seminars, lectures, or teaching engagements sponsored by a U.S. government agency or U.S. institution of higher education. |
| Preparing scholary publications1 | No | No | Yes2 |
| Editorial Services for educational or professional organizations1 | No | No | Yes2 |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Leadership positions in professional societies1 |
No | No | Yes2 |
|
Service with accreditation agencies1 |
No | No | Yes2 |
| Serving on an advisory committee or evaluation panel for government funding agencies, nonprofit foundations, or educational organizations1 | No | No | Yes2 |
| Serving on (but not chairing) master's or doctoral thesis committee at another university1 | No | No | Yes2 |
| Chairing a master's or doctoral thesis committee at another university | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes2 |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
Outside Teaching, Presentations, and Seminars
There is no financial threshold for certain researchers. See IMPORTANT note below the table in this section.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Outside Teaching during the appointment period |
Yes3 | Yes3 |
No Exception: Disclose in COINS if the position is at a foreign university, compensation > $5,000, and related to your Penn State Institutional responsibilities. Exclusion: Do not disclose income from seminars, lectures, or teaching engagements sponsored by a U.S. government agency or U.S. institution of higher education. |
| Outside Teaching outside the appointment period | Yes3 | No |
No Exception: Disclose in COINS if the position is at a foreign university, compensation > $5,000, and related to your Penn State Institutional responsibilities. Exclusion: Do not disclose income from seminars, lectures, or teaching engagements sponsored by a U.S. government agency or U.S. institution of higher education. |
| Conducting short courses including non-credit or professional courses | Yes3 | No |
Yes2 4 Exclusion: Do not disclose income from seminars, lectures, or teaching engagements sponsored by a U.S. government agency or U.S. institution of higher education. |
| Presenting or conducting a workshop at professional meetings or other similar gatherings1 | No | No |
Yes2 Exclusion: Do not disclose income from seminars, lectures, or teaching engagements sponsored by a U.S. government agency or U.S. institution of higher education. |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
4IMPORTANT: There is a zero dollar threshold if conducting short courses (including non-credit or professional courses) for a for-profit entity and you are either:
- A College of Medicine Investigator and the financial interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority OR
- A Penn State Health employee affiliated with the College of Medicine and the financial interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | No | |
| Scholarly collaboration with an institution of higher education where there is compensation, agreement, contract, or required time commitment | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes2 |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
Consulting and Entrepreneurship
There is no financial threshold for certain researchers. See IMPORTANT note below the table in this section.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Starting a company |
Yes3 | Yes3 |
Yes2 NOTE: There is no threshold for company ownership |
| Holding any equity in a private company | Yes3 (disclose the time spent on company activities, not the equity) | Yes3 (if founding or starting a company, be sure to request approval before filing the paperwork) |
Yes2 NOTE: There is no threshold for this activity |
| Private consulting that does not involve research | Yes3 | No | Yes2 |
2Disclose in COINS if the financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities. IMPORTANT: There is a zero dollar threshold if you are:
- A College of Medicine Investigator and the financial interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority OR
- A Penn State Health employee affiliated with the College of Medicine and the financial interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
Intellectual Property
There is no financial threshold for certain researchers. See IMPORTANT note below the table in this section.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| An activity involving the conveyance of IP rights to another entity | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes2 (disclose the related significant financial interest) |
| Income from IP, including patents, licensing income, royalites, or copyright. This includes income received from the Penn State Research Foundation (PSRF). | No | No |
Yes2 |
2Disclose in COINS if the financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities. IMPORTANT: There is a zero dollar threshold for IP if you are:
- A College of Medicine Investigator and the IP interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
- A Penn State Health employee affiliated with the College of Medicine and the IP interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
- A Department of Energy (DOE) researcher and submitting a proposal to or supported by funding from the DOE.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
Outside Appointments, Public Equity and Compensation
There is no financial threshold for certain researchers. See IMPORTANT note below the table in this section.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes3 |
Yes3 Exclusion: Appointments for the purpose of teaching outside of the Appointment Period do not require prior approval. |
No Exception: disclose in COINS if the position is at a foreign university, compensation is greater than $5,000, and related to your Penn State research. |
|
| Running or having fiduciary responsibility for a research endeavor at another univerity (running a lab, institute or program) | Yes3 | Yes3 |
Yes2 |
| Holding equity in a publicly traded entity | No | No |
Yes2 Exclusion: income from investment vehicles, such as mutual funds and retirement accounts, if the Investigator does not directly control the investment decisions made in these vehicles. |
| Receiving compensation from a publicly traded or non-publicly traded entity | Yes3 (disclose the associated activity) | Yes3 (disclose the associated activity) |
Yes2 |
|
Becoming an employee of a third-party entity (includes advisory board positions that have fiduciary responsibilities) |
Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes2 |
| Being an expert witness | Yes3 | No | Yes2 |
| Practicing a licensed profession (e.g., veterinarian, architect, nurse, attorney) | Yes3, if practicing beyond what is needed to maintain licensure or certification. | No | Yes2 |
| Musical and other creative performances and exhibitions1 | No | No | Yes2 |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities. IMPORTANT: There is a zero dollar threshold for compensation or equity if you are:
- A College of Medicine Investigator and the compensation or equity is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
- A Penn State Health employee affiliated with the College of Medicine and the compensation or equity is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Participating in programs sponsored by foreign governments |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sponsored Travel
There is no financial threshold for certain researchers. See IMPORTANT note below the table in this section.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sponsored travel (travel paid for an entity other than Penn State) |
Yes3 (disclose the associated activity) Exclusion: Disclosure is not required if the activity associated with the sponsored travel is a scholarly activity (guest lecture, seminar, presenting at a conference, etc). |
No |
Yes2 Exclusion: Do not disclose travel that is reimbursed or sponsored by a federal, state, or local government agency in the United States, an American institution of higher education as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001(a), an American academic teaching hospital, an American medical center, or a research institute that is affiliated with an American Institution of higher education. |
2Disclose in COINS if the financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities. IMPORTANT: There is a zero dollar threshold for sponsored or reimbursed travel if you are:
- A College of Medicine Investigator and the travel interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
- A Penn State Health employee affiliated with the College of Medicine and the travel interest is related to human subjects research or purchasing authority; OR
- A Department of Energy (DOE) researcher and submitting a proposal to or supported by funding from the DOE.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.
| Activity | Disclose per AC80 | Prior Approval Per AC80 | Disclose in COINS per RP06 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Exceeding monthly or annual time limits |
Yes3 |
Yes3 NOTE: Exceeding the annual time limits requires approval by the Provost |
Yes2 (disclose the related significant financial interest) |
| Involving undergrad or graduate students in the outside activity | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes2 (disclose the related significant financial interest) |
1This is a scholarly activity as defined by policy AC80.
2Disclose in COINS if financial interest is greater than $5,000 and reasonably related to your Penn State Institutional Responsibilities.
3If in the faculty member's area of expertise.