Navigating+conflicts+of+interest

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Module 8. Navigating conflicts of interest.
**Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Management in Technology Transfer** []

A conflict of interest occurs when a researcher, for example, may have a financial interest in a company which may be licensing IP or a financial interest in a start-up company based on the researcher’s work and inventions. If this is the case then the researcher may be influenced by the desire for private gain rather than purely the research agenda.

 A conflict of commitment occurs when a researcher’s external interests, for example being involved in creating a spin-off company, take time away from the responsibilities such as teaching or research for which he or she is paid to carry out.

 As universities and public research institutes become more involved in technology transfer and commercialization the possibility of both conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment increases. There is a need to identify potential conflicts as early as possible and carefully, and transparently, manage them in a way which will not discourage innovative behavior and entrepreneurship.