University Standing Committees and Task Forces

Duties

This committee will serve as a review group on issues which cannot be resolved between the Associate Vice President for Research and the investigator(s). The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Policy Committee is to ensure that The University of Alabama is in compliance with and consistently applies federal regulations pertaining to conflict of interest, thus ensuring that the standards of the Council of the American Association of University Professors and The American Council on Education on Preventing Conflicts of Interest in Government-Sponsored Research at Universities (1964) and Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) on Shared Responsibility, Individual Integrity: Scientists Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Biomedical Research (2006) are followed resulting in the object conduct of research at The University of Alabama.

This policy pertains to all projects, for any activity proposed to or funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes for Health (NIH). It also applies to any university employee who is contracting or subcontracting to a company/entity/enterprise in which there maybe a potential financial conflict of interest. The intent is to implement reasonable controls which are commensurate with the potential for conflict. This Committee will also provide oversight for implementation of the Conflict and Interest Policy and recommend to the Vice President for Research and Provost all future changes/modifications to the Policy.

Composition

This committee shall consist of three faculty members (one of whom shall serve as chairperson) appointed by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, experienced with the administration of Federal Grants/Contracts, The Associate Deans for Research in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Community Health Sciences, College of Commerce and Business Administration, and College of Engineering, and the Associate Vice President for Research. A Faculty Senate representative will also serve on the committee. University Counsel will serve as an ex-officio member. Investigator(s) who have issues before the committee may personally appear and/or may request that his or her Chair/Dean be appointed as an ex officio member in review situations. University staff that have issues before the committee may personally appear and/or request that his or her immediate supervisor be appointed as an ex officio member in review situations.

Reporting Channel

Dr. Joe Benson, Interim Vice President for Research

Membership

David Klemmack, Chairperson, Prof, New College
Gary April, Prof, Chemical Engineering
Bill Butler, Director of MINT
John Wiest, Assoc Dean for Research, College of Engineering
Milt Ward, Assoc Dean for Research, College of Arts and Sciences
John Higginbotham, Assoc Dean for Research, College of Community Health Sciences
J. Michael Harden, Assoc Dean for Research, College of Commerce and Business Admin

Faculty Senate Representative

Arun Gupta, Prof, Chemistry

Ex-Officio Members

Michael Spearing - Office of Counsel