Reporting Tips

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interests (FCOI) Reporting

Report only if the family member has a connection to the investigators university responsibility (e.g., shared scholarship, or collaborate on the same funded project) or financial interest in the research field (e.g., equity interest in the sponsoring company or beneficiary of intellectual property used on a sponsored project).

Significant Financial Interest (SFI) is anything of monetary value, including but not limited to:

  • Salary or other payments not made by GS for services (e.g., in-kind compensation, consulting fees or honoraria)
  • Exception: Don’t report if paid through GS or the Georgia Southern University Research Services Foundation (GSRSF) on any sponsored agreement.
  • Exception: Don’t report if adjunct teaching for an institution of higher education if previously reported to the Dean of your college.
  • Exception: Don’t report if the consulting arrangement is with an entity that neither participates in funding nor benefits your scholarship.
  • Exception: Don’t report if the total value is less than $5,000 for a single for-profit entity.
  • Exception: Don’t report if payment is in the form of dividends.

Equity interests (e.g., stocks, stock options, or other ownership interests);

  • Exception: Don’t report if the total value is less than $5,000 in a single for-profit entity.
  • Exception: Don’t report if held in a mutual fund or hedge fund
  • Exception: Don’t report if managed by a third party where the investigator has no say in financial or purchase/sell decisions.

Intellectual property rights (e.g., patents, copyrights, and corresponding royalties);

  • Exception: Don’t report if the aggregate value of income from the Intellectual Property is less than $5,000 unless that Intellectual Property is a component of funded research.
  • Exception: Don’t report if the Intellectual Property is in the form of royalty based upon a copyrighted textbook.

Travel that is prepaid or reimbursed by any source other than a federal, state or local government agency, institution of higher education or academic teaching hospital, medical center or research institute affiliated with an institution of higher education that is provided based upon the investigators professional expertise or University association.

  • Report only if the faculty member also receives Public Health Service (PHS) funding.
  • Exception: Don’t report direct reimbursement of expenses for conference presentation. (e.g., registration or hotel expense)

Family relationships that preclude an arm’s length business transaction.

  • Report only if the family member has a connection to the investigator’s university responsibility (e.g., a shared scholarship or collaboration on the same funded project) or a financial interest in the research field (e.g., an equity interest in the sponsoring company or a beneficiary of intellectual property used in a sponsored project).