2022 Conflict of Interest (COI) Statements due Jan. 10 – Mar. 1

(revised January 7, 2022)

Appropriate disclosure and management of financial interests and outside activities/employment is vital to protecting UT Southwestern’s reputation for excellence and maintaining the public’s trust. Each year, UT Southwestern Medical Center faculty members, researchers, medical students, and certain others who are covered individuals must complete a Conflict of Interest (COI) Statement of Financial Interests (“statement”). Not all employees at UTSW are covered individuals. If you receive an email prompting you to submit a COI Statement, you are a covered individual.

Covered individuals must complete the 2022 statement between Jan. 10, 2022 and Mar. 1, 2022. Beginning Jan. 10, 2022, covered individuals will receive notifications from COI-SMART prompting them to complete and submit their 2022 statement by Mar. 1, 2022. Covered individuals cannot submit statements prior to Jan. 10, 2022.

Changes for 2022

In accordance with recent UT Southwestern and UT System policy revisions, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidance, please see the following COI statement-related announcements for 2022:

• Covered individuals who must complete an annual COI statement include: faculty, research staff, advanced practice providers (APPs), executive leadership, medical students, designated institutional standing committee members, and those with certain purchasing authority, regardless of exempt or non-exempt employment status. All other exempt, non-faculty employees no longer need to complete the annual COI statement.
• Adjunct, emeritus, and volunteer faculty who do not participate in research do not need to submit a statement. Those who do participate in research continue to be required to submit per policy. Adjunct, emeritus, or volunteer faculty are not subject to outside activity approval requirements.
• Additional questions have been added to the COI statement to capture internationally based activities. All international activities and relationships must be disclosed. While information from your 2021 statement will be available as you navigate your 2022 statement in COI-SMART, you will need to verify and update information as needed and ensure these additional questions have been answered. All international activity disclosures must include a written agreement in English that has been uploaded into COI-SMART or sent to the COI Office.

Outside Activities

All UT Southwestern individuals who do not need to complete an annual COI statement are still required to submit an outside activity/employment (OAE) request prior to engaging in outside activities that are not pre-approved.

Contact the COI Office if you engage in outside activities/employment and have not yet requested approval by submitting a statement or OAE request. Individuals who submit a statement do not need to submit additional forms for OAEs. If you have submitted an OAE in previous years, you will be contacted via email with a link to submit an OAE for approval in 2022.

Until Jan. 10, 2022, the COI-SMART system will be closed to complete the year-end review. If a disclosure or outside activity request is needed prior to Jan. 10, 2022, please email the Conflict of Interest Office.

For more information, please visit the UT Southwestern Conflict of Interest website (VPN access required).