Disclosure, Conflict-of-Interest and Outside Activities

The federal government and federal funding agencies have identified researchers’ disclosure and transparency about relationships with and funding support from outside entities, especially those outside the U.S., as critical to research security.

All researchers must annually disclose outside activities and financial interests to WFU under the Policy on Conflicts of Interest or Commitment. They must also disclose outside activities and research support, including support that may be non-monetary such as honorific titles, to the research sponsor via a biosketch, current/pending support document, and/or other support document. Some research agencies are also requiring a digital persistent identifier (DPI), such as ORCID.

Researchers must be accurate and consistent in these disclosures, particularly if they include activities with a foreign entity or government. All researchers are prohibited from participating in a malign foreign talent recruitment program (see International collaboration section below).

All WFU employees, regardless of whether they receive federal funding, must disclose outside activities and interests if that activity is not exempt under the Policy on Conflicts of Interest or Commitment.