SUNY ESF
Conflict of Interest

SUNY ESF uses the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to facilitate the Conflict of Interest (COI) training requirement.

SUNY-ESF is committed to promoting objectivity in research and to maintaining high ethical standards to ensure that the design, conduct, and reporting of research is not biased by the financial interests of Investigators. To ensure that research programs are not compromised, policies have been put in place, consistent with federal regulations and guidelines that require the reporting and management of potential conflicts of interests (COI) of its Investigators.

Investigators must complete and submit an Investigator Disclosure Statement:

• Annually;
• Prior to the activation of an award;
• Prior to award maintenance, i.e. additional funding;
• When required by the sponsor or by the terms and conditions of an award; and
• Within 30 days of discovering or acquiring a new Significant Financial Interest, or when an existing Significant Financial Interest materially changes.

Each Investigator engaged in a sponsored project must have a completed Investigator Disclosure Statement in the Pre-Award Compliance System (PACS) at the time of an application for funding. An Investigator that has reported significant conflicts of interest will be asked for additional information.

Note: “Investigator” is defined as the project director or principal investigator, co-principal investigator, and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research.

Additional information on accessing COI can be found .