Conflict of Interest (non-research)
A Conflict of Interest (COI) refers to an individual's personal financial interests and relationships with entities outside of Emory.
A COI or a potential COI arises when a personal, professional, commercial, or financial interest or activity outside of the university could potentially:
- Compromise an employee's judgment or influence an employee's behavior.
- Result in a personal gain or advancement, or a gain or advancement for a related person or related organization, at the expense of the interests of the university.
Examples may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Holding, either directly or indirectly, a position or financial interest in an outside entity which provides services competitive with services rendered by Emory, or an outside entity from which Emory secures goods or services if the employee is involved in or may influence the ordering of such goods or services.
- Competing, either directly or indirectly, with Emory in the purchase or sale of property or property rights, interests or services.
- Disclosing or using non-public information obtained through Emory employment for personal profit or gain or for the profit or gain of an immediate family member.
- Accepting gratuities or special favors, such as meals, airline tickets, hotel accommodations, entertainment, sporting event tickets, etc., from any outside entity that does, or is seeking to do business with Emory.
- Extending gratuities or special favors to employees of Emory, under circumstances which might reasonably be interpreted as an attempt to influence the employees in the performance of their duties. (This does not include the acceptance of items of nominal or minor value ($40.00 or less) that are clearly tokens of respect or friendship and or are not related to any particular transaction or activity of the university, nor does it include business-related social events where the employee is representing the university's interests.)
- Retaining, directly or indirectly, consultants who have a financial interest or employment that conflicts with services (including sponsored research) provided by Emory.
To learn more about Conflict of Interest at Emory, read Policy 4.87
If you have, or think you may have a conflict of interest, please contact your Dean, Director, Vice Provost, or Vice President, or email compliance@emory.edu
To provide centralized oversight in managing and documenting potential COI disclosures, the Office of Ethics and Compliance is updating the (COI) reporting process for non-research university personnel by piloting a process by which individuals can disclose potential conflicts via the eDisclose system. To learn more about this pilot program, contact OEC at compliance@emory.edu