Conflict of interest in academic research

Abstract

The potential for conflict of interest in research can occur whenever a faculty member's financial interest in an industrial sponsor is sufficient to affect his or her impartiality in interpreting the results of the sponsored project. Owing, in large part, to the role of public funding of research, the appearance of a conflict of interest can be as damaging to the reputation of the investigator and/or university as an actual conflict. Therefore, universities and governmental funding agencies have established policies to help ensure that the public welfare is upheld through unbiased research conduct and reporting. Industrial partners who sponsor such research should understand the university's need to identify and appropriately manage these conflicts. Violation of the policies that govern conflict of interest in research can compromise public trust in academic research (jeopardising public funding) and pose undue health risks, as well as damage the reputation of the researcher.