Conflicts of interest (COI)

To: University Community
From: Conflict of Interest Program
Subject: Adoption of Interim Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy
Date: May 17, 2021

Notice of Policy Revision and Policy Repeal

Interim Conflicts of Interest & Commitment Policy

Pursuant to the authority established by Arizona Board of Regents Policy No. 1-201, et seq., and the University of Arizona's policy on University Policy-making, the following action is proposed:

ADOPTION OF INTERIM CONFLICTS OF INTEREST & COMMITMENT POLICY

SUMMARY: This policy incorporates five of the University's conflict of interest and commitment policies into one policy to alleviate confusion and contradictions. A single conflict of commitment policy will now be applicable to all University employees. The policy is approved on an interim basis to address immediate concerns while the substantive policy revisions are presented for stakeholder feedback and publication.

The Conflicts of Interest & Commitment Policy incorporates and replaces the following policies, which can be viewed at the links below:

1. Conflict of Commitment Policy
2. Conflict of Interest (UHAP) Policy
3. Conflict of Interest in Purchasing Policy
4. Individual Conflict of Interest in Research Policy
5. Institutional Conflict of Interest Policy

A copy of the revised policy is available at the University Policies website. Members of the University community are invited to submit written comments via the Policy Feedback box on the policy or by contacting the Conflict of Interest Program at 520-626-6406 or COI@email.arizona.edu. All comments must be received by close of business on June 21, 2021

Implementing New Systems to Make Your Work Easier

Beginning this summer, the Office of Research, Innovation and Impact will sequentially roll out and upgrade new systems designed to make your work related to Conflict of Interest and Commitment matters, the Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP), and research proposals much easier. Because these changes are relevant to all of campus, from students to staff to faculty, please check your email inboxes in the coming weeks and months for information about training sessions and transitioning to the new systems.

Conflict of Interest (COI) and Conflict of Commitment (COC)

The COI Program is implementing a new electronic system, called eDisclosure, which will be used by the University community to submit COI disclosure information and COC forms for approval. The emails you will begin receiving will provide information on what you can expect as we transition to the new system. Once the go-live date is finalized, there will be a two-week blackout period during which COI and COC information cannot be submitted. We will update you on specific dates soon. Please work to ensure your COI disclosure, research certifications and COC forms are updated by the end of May. Some of the benefits of eDisclosure include: 

• A single point of disclosure for COI and COC matters using a progressive smart form that will open and hide pages based on the answers you provide.
• Ability to view the progress of your disclosure as it makes its way through the COI and COC review processes.

For more information, contact the COI Program at coi@arizona.edu.

New electronic Institutional Review Board (IRB) system

Additionally, HSPP is implementing a new electronic IRB system called eIRB, which is a platform where researchers will submit and manage their human subject protocols. Details regarding the rollout of this new system, which will increase productivity and provide researchers with a greater level of transparency during IRB reviews, include:

• Going live in August 2021.
• There will be a planned blackout period where no IRB submissions will be accepted. This will be approximately two weeks before the go-live date. Please check your email inboxes for updates on timing. 
• IRB Meetings will be held on the first and second Tuesdays of June, July, and August. Ad hoc meetings may be scheduled. 
• For projects that expire July-August 2021, please get your renewal paperwork in ASAP. If the project expires during the planned blackout period, please submit renewal paperwork at least two weeks before the planned blackout period. Otherwise, reapproval is not guaranteed and the project will expire. The project will also be expired in the new eIRB system after the system goes live. 
• For projects that expire after the system goes live, please use eIRB to submit Continuing Reviews. User guides will be published when the system is launched. 
• Submissions to the VPR-IRB@arizona.edu inbox will not be accepted starting approximately one to two weeks before the planned blackout period. Urgent submissions will be handled on a case-by-case basis. IRB inquiries should still be submitted to VPR-IRB@arizona.edu. 

Those with questions about eIRB are asked to contact Christine Melton-Lopez, HSPP director, at melton1@email.arizona.edu.

Research system upgrade

This fall, following implementation of the COI and HSPP systems, the current UAccess Research (UAR) system will be updated to a newer version called Kuali Research. 

Here are some highlights: 

• The updated system will go live about a month after eIRB is active.
• Familiar content will have a more modern look and feel.
• The system will deliver new features and fixes on a continuous basis.
• Adjusted proposal routing will shorten approval times.
• The research system will be unavailable from close of business on a Friday evening and will be live again the next Tuesday morning.
• To prepare for routing changes, all proposals that start routing in UAR must be fully approved and submitted by Sponsored Projects and Contracting Services (SPCS) before UAR goes down. Any proposals still routing can be canceled, copied and rerouted by the proposal initiator when Kuali Research goes live. Additional details about proposal deadlines will follow.
• Responses to proposal questions will flow from proposals through awards to facilitate more accurate campus and institutional reporting. 
• The University VPN will no longer be required to access the research system.

For more information, contact Susan Mundt, SPCS assistant director of operations, at mundts@arizona.edu.