Men in a science lab

Investigators responsible for developing, discovering, or creating any University-owned intellectual property who have become aware of a Company’s acquisition or intention to acquire ownership of or a license to that intellectual property must disclose if they have a Significant Financial Interest, as defined by CUNY Policy, in the company acquiring the license. See procedures and form for disclosure below.

The University’s Conflicts Committee may require the appointment of a Conflicts Overseer to manage a Financial Conflict of Interest in a research project. Procedures for Oversight of Research by a Conflicts Overseer are available here

The President of each CUNY College designates a CCO for their campus.

Each CCO is in charge of implementing CUNY’s Conflict of Interest policy, for promoting the need to disclose significant financial interests to faculty and staff at their College, and for reviewing all disclosures in accordance to this policy.

Contact information of the current CCO for each College is available here.

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Conflict of Interest Policy is available here.

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) regulations establishing standards and procedures to be followed by institutions that apply for research funding from the Public Health Service (PHS) to ensure that the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded under PHS grants, cooperative agreements or contracts will not be biased by any conflicting financial interest of those investigators responsible for the research are available here.

  • Significant Financial Interest Disclosure Form and Supplement Form (Forms 1 and 2)
  • Grant or contract documents for related project funding, including but not limited to proposals, notice of award, sub-contracts, budget sheet etc.
  • Acquisition of or License to CUNY Intellectual Property Disclosure Form (if applicable)
  • Licensing agreement between the CUNY Technology Commercialization Office and the CUNY employee or agent or employee or agent’s company (if applicable).
  • Any collaborative research, data transfer or other agreements that are directly related to the potential conflict (if applicable).
  • A short description/one sheet of the entity in which the CUNY investigator has a significant financial interest (if applicable).

Each investigator must complete the CUNY Significant Financial Interest (SFI) Disclosure and submit it to the college Grants Officer and the College Conflicts Office (CCO):

    • at the time that the Principal Investigator submits a grant proposal or application;
    • at the time the Principal Investigator submits an annual progress report;
    • within 30 days of any material change in the previously disclosed SFI, discovery or acquisition of a new SFI;
    • when a new investigator joins an ongoing research project at CUNY