Conflict of Interest Guidance

Members of the academic staff at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are free to engage in outside activities, whether or not such activities are remunerative or related to staff members’ fields of academic interest or specialization.

However, no member of the academic staff may engage in an outside activity if it conflicts with his or her public responsibilities to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.

A conflict of interest may exist when an individual has significant financial interest that could lead an independent observer reasonably to question whether the staff member’s public responsibility might be influenced by the possibility of personal gain by the individual or his/her immediate family.

A conflict of interest may also exist when an academic staff member at the medical school is engaged in an outside activity that is of such magnitude that the obligation to the university is suffering. No member of the academic staff shall be absent from his/her regular duties except by permission of the supervisor.

Individuals who may be affected by these policies shall consult their supervisor before making commitments to outside activities. Further consultation with the appropriate department chair, unit head, dean or director and/or the Institutional Advisory Committee on Outside Activities may be necessary before approving an unusual arrangement.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a Conflict of Interest (COI) Committee that reviews reports of outside activities and financial interests to comply with federal, state, and University regulations and policies. This faculty committee, which includes representatives from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, also works with faculty and staff to eliminate, minimize or manage any actual or potential conflicts of interest identified by the reporting process.