The Committee and FCOIs

The Conflict of Interest Committee (COIC), with support from the Research Ethics and Compliance Office (RECO), reviews investigator disclosures of outside financial interests, determines whether the outside interest(s) constitute a real or apparent conflict of interest, and recommends to the Vice Chancellor of Research a plan to manage conflicts.

Conflict of Interest Committee (COIC)

The COIC reviews disclosures from the PI/Investigators that list one or more outside financial interests/significant financial interests (“positive” disclosures) to determine if a conflict of interest exists, and if so, recommends to the Vice Chancellor for Research a written plan for the management, reduction or elimination of a potential, perceived, or actual conflict of interest per the Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM), PPM 230-05 (Individual Conflicts of Interest Involving Research) and PPM 230-07 (Public Health Service Regulations on Objectivity in Research).

The COIC reports, through the Chairman of the Committee, to the Vice Chancellor for Research.

COIC Membership

Members are appointed by the Vice Chancellor of Research for a three-year term.

The membership of the COIC is comprised of:

  • UCD faculty (11 voting members) from the School of Medicine, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Biological Sciences, College of Letters & Science, and four at-large members as determined by the Chancellor, and amended bi-annually, as necessary.
  • Four non-voting, ex-officio participants: Manager Health Contracts, Compliance Manager UC Davis Health, AVC for Research, Director-Sponsored Programs (SPO), Director-Institutional Review Board or Associate Director-Institutional Review Board, Director-RECO or RECO Manager/Lead Staff Member, and Compliance Officer/Campus Counsel. Other non-voting ‘ad-hoc’ participants may assist in discussions and decisions as needed.

COIC Meeting Dates

  • The COIC meets once per month throughout the year.

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

Examples of Outside Activities That May Create a Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

  • Holding equity interests (e.g. stock) in an entity that sponsors, supports, or otherwise has a potential financial interest in the outcome of your UCD research
  • Holding any of these positions in an entity that sponsors, supports, or otherwise has a potential financial interest in the outcome of your UCD research:
    • Office or membership on a board of committee
    • Director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or management (without or without income or equity)
    • Founder, co-founder, or shareholder
  • Accepting the following from an entity that sponsors, supports, or otherwise has a potential financial interest in the outcome of your UCD research:
    • Travel reimbursement from a sponsor to attend board meetings.
    • Honoraria for lectures at companies whose financial interests are affected by your University research.
    • Income, gifts, or loans
    • Consulting income where the consulting activity could reasonably appear to be related to the research project.
  • Financial interest in a business entity that:
    • Develops, manufactures, or improves a product or offers services related to the research project.
    • Will act as a vendor, subcontractor, lessor, or other participant on the research project
    • Is related to intellectual property in which the investigator is named as an inventor if the research project could reasonably appear to be affected by the interest.