At UCR, a COI in research occurs when an investigator has an outside interest, generally financial, that is related to their research or institutional responsibilities and could directly and significantly affect, or appear to affect, the design, conduct, or reporting of that research.
These outside financial interests include but are not limited to:
- Income from consulting or speaking engagements
- Equity or stock ownership
- Patents, royalties, or other intellectual property rights
- Sponsored or reimbursed travel
- Paid or unpaid positions in external organizations
- These interests also include financial holdings of the investigator’s spouse, registered domestic partner, and dependent children.
To ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of research, investigators are required to disclose all related financial interests in the Kuali Research COI (KCOI) system. The COI Committee reviews these disclosures to determine whether a related Significant Financial Interest (SFI) could directly and significantly affect the design, conduct, or reporting of funded research.
This process helps UCR uphold ethical research practices and maintain research integrity and public trust.
COI Information & Compliance