All investigators who are engaged in research must complete Penn State University’s required Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) training and submit a disclosure of significant financial interest. Per PSU policy RP06 Disclosure and Management of Significant Financial Interests, an investigator is defined as “any individual, regardless of his or her title or position, whether faculty, staff, or student, who has the ability to make independent decisions related to the design, conduct or reporting of University Research, but not including individuals who perform only incidental or isolated tasks related to a University Research project.”
Both FCOI training and disclosure are completed via Penn State University’s electronic Conflict of Interest System, COINS. As part of the electronic Disclosure Form, COINS requires investigators to complete FCOI training upon their first disclosure and again every four years. For details, please see the the Office for Research Protections Conflict of Interest website.