Research Compliance Officer – Conflict of Interest

Department

Provost URA:
Research Integrity/COI

University Research Administration (URA) has the responsibility to review and provide institutional endorsement for all proposals to federal and other external sponsors (excluding gifts), assuring compliance with University policies and sponsor terms and conditions. URA is the institutional authority for the negotiation and acceptance of financial support or other contractually binding obligations in the form of a contract, grant, or agreement, including material transfer agreements and clinical trials.

The Research Compliance Officer – Conflict of Interest administers the University’s Conflict of Interest/Conflict of Commitment (COI/COC) compliance programs. This mid-level role is part of the URA Research Compliance team, which includes conflict of interest, research integrity, research security, export controls, financial compliance and audits, and training.

The Officer is responsible for reviewing disclosures, supporting the development and monitoring of management plans, advising the research community on COI requirements, and helping ensure compliance with University policy and sponsor regulations. The role also works closely with internal partners across Research Administration and University stakeholders to support coordinated review of IRB protocols, foreign relationships, sponsored activities, and other research compliance matters.

This job uses best practices and subject matter expertise to support regulatory compliance in the University’s programs and activities. The Officer anticipates problems and develops systems to identify areas of risk and establish other programmatic functions. This role requires in-depth knowledge and experience; solves complex problems; takes a new perspective using existing solutions; works independently; and acts as a resource for colleagues with less experience.

COI Disclosure Assessment and Review

• Serve as a subject matter expert on applicable federal regulations and institutional policy, providing input on the development and improvement of COI-related policies, processes, and community practices.
• Review and analyze annual and research-specific conflict of interest disclosures to identify, assess, and document potential conflicts in accordance with institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Evaluate disclosures for IRB protocols, contracts, grant proposals, and awards.
• Ensure required disclosures are complete, accurate, current, and on file by reviewing prior disclosures, sponsor documentation, CMS Open Payments, internal systems, and other relevant public information sources.
• Correspond with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, other academic appointees, and staff to obtain and clarify disclosure information and supporting documentation.
• Provide guidance to the research community on disclosure requirements, policy interpretation, and use of applicable systems and processes.
• Access and review relevant databases to confirm compliance with disclosure requirements and established review parameters.
• Assist the Compliance Specialist with similar reviews of grant proposals and awards when necessary.
• Generate and distribute annual Conflict of Commitment reports to unit leadership and/or their designees.

Management Plans and Monitoring

• Draft disclosure acknowledgment letters for review and approval.
• Assist in drafting, issuing, and maintaining COI management plans when conflicts are identified.
• Monitor compliance with approved management plans and document related activities.
• Perform spot checks of publications and related activities to confirm required conflict disclosures are included.
• Draft, distribute, and track conflict of interest management plans, coordinating with investigators and administrators to support timely completion of required actions.
• Maintains accurate and organized records of disclosure reviews, determinations, management plans, and related correspondence to support program integrity and reporting needs.

Research Community Support and Education

• Serve as a resource to the University community on COI policies, procedures, disclosure requirements, and related systems.
• Support the COI disclosure process, including intake, triage, review, follow-up, and issue resolution.
• Develops and administers COI-COC training for faculty and staff and maintenance of training and informational resources related to COI-COC on the URA website.
• Provides expertise for faculty and administrators in order to maximize…