Resources

What to Report*

*Until further notice, expert witness/legal consulting outside activities where the State of Florida is a party to the proceedings will be reviewed for conflicts of commitments only.

what to report

New! “Material Changes” Guidance

UF Policy requires that employees update their outside activity/financial interest disclosures when there has been a material change to what they previously disclosed. This begs the question: what is a material change? This resource provides examples of and guidance regarding what is considered a material change.

what to report

Inside Activity Decision Tree

Are you uncertain if an activity should be disclosed in UFOLIO? This resource guides you through steps to determine if something is an “inside activity” that is part of an employee’s UF job duties. Inside activities should not be disclosed in UFOLIO; reportable outside activities must be disclosed and approved in advance.

Training Courses

training courses

General UFOLIO Training

This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about UFOLIO, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. The course gives an overview of what UFOLIO is, why it is being used, and what it means for employees.

Instruction Guides

instruction guides

New! PDF Disclosure Form Reviewer Guide

This new guide is designed for supervisory reviewers of PDF disclosure forms. It outlines recent changes in disclosure requirements, lists the items that supervisors should review for, and provides instructions regarding form processing.

General Information, Policies, and Regulations

General Information

UFOLIO Review Flowcharts

Recent changes to the disclosure review process are reflected in this updated resource which contains two flowcharts: a basic summary on the first page, and a detailed view on the second page.

general information

Ancillary Reviews in UFOLIO

When a disclosure is submitted in UFOLIO, it undergoes a minimum of two reviews: one by the employee’s supervisor (“Level 1”), and one by the Conflicts of Interest Program (“Level 2”). However, depending upon the type and nature of the disclosure, additional review by subject matter experts known as “Ancillary Reviewers” may be necessary prior to Level 2 Review. There are seven types of ancillaries in the UFOLIO system; this resource describes each ancillary’s role and outlines general criteria which are likely to prompt each type of ancillary review.

general information

UFOLIO Review Level Examples

The Conflicts of Interest Program reviews disclosures submitted through UFOLIO by considering various risk factors and applying a heightened level of scrutiny for disclosure types that commonly present higher risk. This document illustrates how the COI Program generally applies different levels of scrutiny to different types of disclosures. This document is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not an exhaustive list of disclosure types.

policies and regulations

UF Conflicts of Interest Policy

The University of Florida encourages its Employees to engage in activities supporting their professional growth, creating new knowledge and ideas, and furthering the Universityโ€™s mission of excellence in education, research, and service. University Employeesโ€™ primary professional obligation, however, is to act in the best interest of the University and to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards. A University Employeeโ€™s Outside Activities or interests must not conflict, or appear to conflict, with their professional obligations to the University of Florida.

policies and regulations

UF Regulation 1.011 Disclosure and Regulation of Outside Activities and Financial Interests

The University of Florida encourages its Faculty and Staff to engage in activities supporting their professional growth, creating new knowledge and ideas, and furthering the Universityโ€™s mission of excellence in education, research, and service. University employees, however, have an obligation to commit their primary professional time and intellectual energy to the University and maintain the highest ethical and professional standards. Further, personal gain from Outside Activities or Financial Interests, as defined in the University of Florida Policy on Conflicts of Commitment and Interest, must not influenceโ€”or create the appearance of influencingโ€”the decisions or actions of the University.

policies and regulations

UF Intellectual Property Policy

The University of Florida Intellectual Property Policy is meant to encourage and enable technology development and transfer for the benefit of the public. Adequate recognition of and incentive to potential inventors through sharing of financial benefits resulting from the transfer and development of patentable inventions and other marketable forms of intellectual property encourages the creation of such intellectual property. At the same time, the Universityโ€™s share in the financial benefits provides funds for further research at the University.

policies and regulations

UF Regulation 5.0764 College of Medicine Policy on Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Biotechnology Industry Conflicts of Interest

COM personnel must pay particular attention to potential conflicts of interest in connection with Industry in order to protect the integrity of professional judgments and to preserve public trust in physicians, researchers and academic medical institutions. The goal of the COM Industry Conflicts Policy is to increase transparency respecting Industry interactions and to eliminate or mitigate conflicts of interest created by these interactions. All interactions between COM personnel and Industry must be consistent with the policy.

POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

College of Medicine Policy on Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Biotechnology Industry Conflict of Interest

COM personnel must pay particular attention to potential conflicts of interest in connection with Industry in order to protect the integrity of professional judgments and to preserve public trust in physicians, researchers, and academic medical institutions. This policy applies to all COM personnel. This policy is supplemental to and does not supersede the University of Floridaโ€™s policy regarding the disclosure of outside activities, financial interests and conflict of interest, which is applicable to all University of Florida employees as set forth in University of Florida Regulation 1.011.

External Resources

Why does UF require faculty and staff to report their activities and financial interests? To learn more about our universityโ€™s legal requirements, take a look at the below sites.

STATE COI RESOURCES

Florida Commission on Ethics

The Florida Commission on Ethics is a nine-member Commission with a staff of approximately twenty-five employees located in Tallahassee, that serves as the guardian of the standards of conduct for officers and employees of Florida and its political subdivisions and functions as an independent commission responsible for investigating and issuing public reports on complaints of breach of the public trust by public officers and employees. The Commission also renders legally binding advisory opinions interpreting the ethics laws and implements the State’s financial disclosure laws.

STATE COI RESOURCES

Florida Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees

It is essential to the proper conduct and operation of government that public officials be independent and impartial and that public office not be used for private gain other than the remuneration provided by law. The public interest, therefore, requires that the law protect against any conflict of interest and establish standards for the conduct of elected officials and government employees in situations where conflicts may exist.

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