Policies & Procedures

Policy: 3202

The Rowan College of South Jersey (“RCSJ” or “College”) Board of Trustees strives to establish a culture where all mission-related research is encouraged and conducted by faculty, staff, students or other investigators free from bias and personal gain. This policy is designed to protect the credibility and integrity of all investigators involved in research thereby preserving the trust and confidence of the public in all sponsored activities undertaken by the College regardless of the funding source.

RCSJ has established safeguards to prevent employees, collaborators, subcontractors, subrecipients, and visiting scientists from using their positions for purposes that are, or give the appearance of, being motivated by a desire for financial gain or other personal interest. Significant financial and personal interests are not limited to salaries and payments. It can also include any interest held by the investigator, and the investigator’s immediate family, in a business entity (company, corporation, or other enterprise) whose financial interest might reasonably appear to be affected by such activities. It can also include conflicts of commitment or foreign entities and/or governments support, either non-financial or financial, where there is an obligation by the researcher to commit time and effort to another entity or the researcher is sharing information inappropriately or in a manner that allows the research data and information to be captured and taken by a foreign entity or government. Avoiding conflicts, or perception of conflicts, ensures public trust in the College's use of public funds and scientific integrity.

RCSJ utilizes a Conflict of Interest (“COI”)/Significant Financial Interest (“SFI”) disclosure form to facilitate compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the requirements of private research funders. RCSJ requires that the disclosure of conflicts of interest, significant financial interests, and other support of research (especially foreign) be reported to the institution for review. When an individual researcher is unclear whether a particular interest requires disclosure, the guiding principle is to “err on the side of transparency”, and therefore to disclose. The determination of an SFI is critical for identifying potential conflicts. The RCSJ management team will review all disclosure forms before approving participation in any research project.

RCSJ has the ultimate responsibility for reviewing financial disclosures, determining the existence of any Financial Conflict of interest (FCOI), and implementing sanctions where appropriate including terminating the grant, the researcher’s participation, the researcher’s employment (if an employee), or any combination thereof.