The University of Rhode Island is committed to transparency, integrity, and the highest ethical standards in relation to conflicts of interest (COI) and conflicts of commitment (COC) in research. URI has tracked significant financial interests and outside activities through the InfoEd module for many years, and with new federal interest in conflicts of commitment, URI has a new Conflict of Commitment in Research policy.

URI encourages and sees great value in outside activities on the part of Investigators when it furthers their professional development, and especially when it enhances their teaching and Research capabilities. However, a potential COC could exist when the time or effort that an Investigator spends on an outside activity directly or significantly interferes with or compromises, or appears to interfere with or compromise, the Investigator’s ability to fulfill their institutional responsibilities to the University.

URI’s policy on Conflicts of Commitment in Research was approved by the Board of Trustees on November 7, 2025.
Please review the new policy here. As a reminder, we highlighted required disclosures in Tip Tuesday.

The InfoEd COI disclosure module will be updated to reflect the new requirement to disclose outside activities that could lead to conflicts of commitment effective November 17, 2025.

You will see the following language:

I have an Outside Activity to disclose. Yes / No                                            If Yes, please describe activity:

Outside Activities are activities, such as external consulting, personal businesses, and professional and academic endeavors, performed outside of the Investigator’s appointment to the University.

Please remember that the appearance or existence of a conflict of commitment does not imply any wrongdoing, nor does it mean that the investigator must halt the outside activity.  Transparency is the foundation of the conflict management process, and ORI will work with you to find the best way to handle your situation.

Contact Information: Heather McClary, Director, Office of Research Integrity