A conflict of interest (COI) refers to a personal interest, tangible or intangible, that has the potential to influence your judgments and decisions. A conflict of interest occurs whenever you have competing organizational interests, a stake in the outcome of the research, personal bias or possible direct or indirect financial benefits from the product or idea being researched.

As potential conflicts of interest arise dependent on study design, you should consult the resources on Conflict of Interest for help in identifying if you have a conflict of interest and how to how to manage the conflict of interest.

If you have concerns that your potential conflict of interest can’t be easily managed, contact the IRB Office for a consult.