The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Faculty/ Staff Disclosure for External or Internal Activity/ Conflict of Interest (COI)
Updated - October 2008
The University of Alabama at Birmingham encourages its faculty and staff to provide professional services to business, industry, government, professional societies, and other appropriate groups that desire the expertise of our widely-diverse professional core. In order to best preserve the institution's academic and research integrity and protect the interests of all parties engaging in these activities, several university-wide policies and reporting requirements are necessary. (See Office of the Provost guidelines at http://main.uab.edu/Sites/provost/facultyresources/35744/ for further details.)
To streamline the process for complying with disclosure requirements, all current Provost, School, unit, and CIRB paper-driven disclosure forms have now been consolidated and simplified for electronic submission, review, and approval. This disclosure process allows faculty and staff to submit information quickly and easily, obtain real-time guidance for interpreting disclosure requirements, and receive electronic responses from appropriate managers through an automated routing process with built-in submission and approval workflows.
Who needs to disclose?
UAB requires disclosure from faculty and staff at grade 20 or above at UAB or UAB-affiliated entities (defined as any operating unit of UAB, including UAB Hospital, UA School of Medicine, UAB Health System, UAB Highlands, University of Alabama Health Services Foundation, The Kirklin Clinic, and Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital).
For grant submissions, all personnel are required to disclose to the CIRB if they are 1) listed as key personnel in an externally funded project submitted to the Office of Grants and Contracts Administration (OGCA), or 2) listed in an internally funded project submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Key personnel on an active grant or contract need to disclose if they or a member of their immediate family receives compensation from or equity in an entity related to sponsored research.
How do I disclose?
To disclose, you simply access and complete the online disclosure form. This new process combines what were formerly 7 separate paper forms and rolls them into a simple "smart form." According to how you answer questions, "pop-up" boxes will appear to guide you through the process. At the end, you press "submit," and the form is automatically emailed to the appropriate approvers. You receive email notification when your disclosure is submitted and another email when it is approved. You may check the status of your disclosure process at any time by logging in and returning to your history screen.
To begin the process, go to the disclosure entry page at www.uab.edu/uabforms. Disclosers must select one of three types of disclosures: A) external activity/conflict of interest involving a non-UAB entity, B) internal activity/potential conflict of interest involving a UAB or UAB- affiliated entity, or C) conflict of interest for key personnel in sponsored research (CIRB form). Options A or B should be used to report professional services related to one's area of expertise that are outside the scope of a regular UAB appointment. Option C should be used to report an initial submission for a grant or contract obtained through UAB for research or educational activities. All options require updates if significant information changes within one year. Please see the online tutorial for further instructions, examples of various activities requiring disclosure, common compliance requirements, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Questions regarding the disclosure process or forms may be addressed to the Office of the Provost at 205-934-0622, or the CIRB at 205-975-9691 or CIRB@uab.edu.