Conflict of Interest Situations with Possible Management Plans
Students/Trainees
The mission of the University of Michigan is to create, communicate, preserve, and apply knowledge in the public interest. Education and mentoring of students is central to fulfillment of the University's mission and, in fact is one of the most important responsibilities assumed by faculty members. More recently, University support for transfer of knowledge to the commercial sector in the public interest has led to increasingly complex roles for faculty members and students in relationships to industry-sponsored research, technology transfer and entrepreneurship. A student's/trainees' participation in a project supported by or requiring collaboration with a faculty-owned company should be under the supervision of a faculty member with no financial interests in such company. Faculty and staff must not enter into agreements related to their University responsibilities that limit publication, dissemination, or access to information unless approved by the University.
Example 1: Student situation with minimal risk
Professor K holds equity in a local company. The company wishes to participate as one of many sponsors of a project aimed at supporting the Ph.D. thesis of a GSRA. Professor K will not be involved in the UM side of the company sponsored research project in his/her capacity as a University employee and is not a member of the GSRA's thesis committee.
This situation presents minimal risks and falls into what the conflict of interest committees refer to as an "Administrative Shunt" requiring disclosure as sufficient management.
Example 1a: Student situation with significant risk
In Example 1 above, Professor K is sole chair of the GSRA's thesis committee. This presents an unacceptable conflict (see Operating Principle #4).
Management solutions may include the following:
- Appointing another faculty member (with no connection to the company) to serve as thesis advisor of the student, if the focus of the thesis is based on this research.
- Serving as co-thesis advisor with another faculty member (with no connection to the company), if the focus of the thesis is based on this research.
Both examples require disclosure to and approval by the Regents under the State of Michigan Conflict of Interest Statute.