Spotlight on Nepotism and Conflict of Interest

1
Spotlight on Nepotismand Conflict of Interest

• Melanie Loots
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
• Peg Rawles
• Associate Provost

2
Nepotism Examples

• Hiring of family members on research grants
  without prior disclosure to the funding agency
  and without following University HR process.
• Faculty member spouses allowed to approve travel
  reimbursements for each other using grant funds.

3
Why is this a conflict of interest?

• A conflict of interest exists when an academic
  staff member is in a position to advance his/her
  own interest or that of others to the
  Universitys detriment
• Paying salary or making other payments to ones
  family members can be seen as using University
  or federal funds for personal gain.

4
Why do we care?

• PHS Regulation language (found at Code of Federal
  Regulation Part 42 - - Public Health , Chapter I,
  Part 50, Subpart F, Sec. 50.604, Section (2))
  states "Prior to the Institution's expenditure of
  any funds under the award, the Institution will
  report to the PHS Awarding Component the
  existence of a conflicting interest (but not the
  nature of the interest or other details) found by
  the Institution and assure that the interest has
  been managed, reduced, or eliminated in
  accordance with this subpart and, for any
  interest that the Institution identifies as
  conflicting subsequent to the Institution's
  initial report under the award, the report will
  be made and conflicting interest managed,
  reduced, or eliminated, at least on an interim
  basis, within sixty days of that identification"

5
Management of Conflicts

• A conflict of interest should be disclosed when
  co-investigators are married or have familial
  relationships

6
Disclosure

• We are obliged to disclose that a conflict of
  interest exists when a proposal is submitted.
• The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  would like to disclose that a conflict of
  interest exists on Dr. E. Brights submission to
  NIH. Potential conflicts of interest are being
  managed in accordance with University fiscal,
  human resources and conflict of interest
  policies.

7
Personnel Management

• Investigators whose family members work in their
  laboratories must not set salaries or be solely
  responsible for supervision.
• Adhere to University guidelines
• HR Search procedures

8
Fiscal Management

• Family members should not approve grant
  expenditures or travel reimbursements for other
  family members from institutional, grant, or
  other funds
• Adhere to University guidelines
• Travel pre-approval

9
Preventive Measures

• Know your department spouses!
• Support your business office staff!