Note: Information below provides more detail but the necessary information and training are conveyed in the certification form linked above.

Faculty and staff must comply with Miami Policies to minimize perceptions that research findings may have been influenced by external sources. When relationships with an external entity are of a financial nature, such perceived or real Financial Conflict of Interest in Research (FCOIr) must be addressed. When research is federally funded, Miami is contractually obligated to comply with the policies for FCOIr (2 CFR 200.112: which directs funding agencies to have established policies). The policy at Miami unifies the policies of NIH and NSF to meet the requirements of both. Conflicts are common and not all warrant management, therefore the policies define types of interests, relationships, and monetary thresholds that need to be disclosed and potentially managed.

There are four basic steps to addressing potential concerns regarding FCOIr:

1. Understanding the nature of Significant Financial Interests (SFI's) and confidentially disclosing those that exist to Miami administration. Absent reportable SFI's for researchers and immediate family members, the researchers assure through an annual online ceritification that they have no known external SFI's. The online questionnaire (google form linked above and below) requires logging in using Miami UniqueID to establish a means of certifying identity. Since there is a regulatory requirement for researchers to understand the various aspects of FCOIr, the questionnaire is used not only to respond to simple questions, but to provide the information and certify that researchers have completed the educational requirement.

2. Research team members must also understand that if an SFI develops after the most recent certification, it must be disclosed within 90 days. If no SFI's are indicated in the annual certification or develop, no further action is required.

3. If SFI's are disclosed, the Director of Research Compliance or the Associate Provost for Research determines and confidentially documents whether the SFI consititues a Financial Conflict of Interest that may be perceived to influence the research (FCOIr).

4. If an FCOIr is identified, a conflict management plan is developed to avoid the potential issues raised by FCOIr in the specific project. The table below describes SFI's that must be disclosed and managed if not explicitly excluded (column 2). SFI's from external entities and potential FCOIr's are not prohibited, but disclosure, documentation, and management may be required.

FCOIr Certification Form Access