What Do I Have to Disclose?

Since this disclosure includes both conflicts of interest and commitment, you must disclose all financial, personal and professional interests, activities and relationships you have with any non-University entities (other than those specifically exempted) that create, or could be perceived to create, a conflict of interest or commitment that:

  • Might be reasonably perceived to be related to your institutional responsibilities;
  • Relate to the University’s educational, research, service or other missions, including the services offered by the University; or
  • May otherwise present a conflict of interest or conflict of commitment, or the perception of such a conflict, with your duties to the University.

You will be asked to disclose the time you spent on each activity.  In some circumstances, you may be asked to report the value of your interest or amount you earned from an activity.

"Should I Disclose?"

Relationships with Outside Entities

Relationships with outside entities are divided into the following categories:

  • Equity or Ownership Interest: Stock, stock options and other ownership interests, whether currently vested or not. However, income from investment vehicles in which the owner does not directly control the investment decisions, such as mutual funds or retirement accounts, should not be reported.
     
  • Consulting and Other Professional Services: Consulting, speaking, and advising for an outside entity, whether or not compensation is received for these services.  Royalties for publications and other scholarly work should be disclosed in this category if they exceed threshold values defined in the MyDisclosures form.
     
  • Management, Officer or Board of Directors Positions: Management, officer and board of directors' activities, whether they are paid or unpaid, for companies as well as professional societies.
     
  • Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer Activities: Intellectual property ("IP") interests, including milestone, royalties or IP proceeds.  Royalties for scholarly activities (e.g., book royalties) that exceed threshold levels defined in the MyDisclosures form should be reported under the Consulting and Other Professional Services category.
     
  • Reimbursed and/or Sponsored Travel: Expenses, such as mileage, airfare and hotel fees, that were reimbursed or paid for (i.e. sponsored) by an external entity.
     
  • Other Support or Benefits (gifts, entertainment, loans, favors): Any other interests, relationships, activities, support or benefits from an external entity, including payments or in-kind items, such as gifts, entertainment, loans (except for market-rate loans from financial institutions), favors, meals, or other benefits.

What can I exclude from my disclosure?

You do not need to disclose:

  • Outside interests that do not relate to your institutional responsibilities or the University’s educational, research, service or other missions.  For example, if you manage rental property on the weekend, this does not need to be disclosed.
     
  • Salary, reimbursements, bonuses, or incentives from the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, UPMC physician entities, or the Veterans’ Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System, except for payments representing royalties, milestone and other intellectual property proceeds, which you do have to disclose.
     
  • Income from and ownership interests in investment vehicles, such as mutual funds and retirement accounts, in which you do not directly control the investment decisions.
     
  • Academic work, such as preparation of books, articles, lectures, works of art or artistic performances, expected of you in the normal course of your University duties, unless you receive royalties or honoraria for this work that exceed $5,000 (if you receive funding from a Public Health Service, PHS, agency) or $10,000 (if you do not receive PHS funding) in a 12-month period1.
     
  • Presenting scholarly work at U.S.-based institutions of higher education, or their affiliated academic teaching hospitals, medical centers and research institutes.
     
  • Activities you performed for federal, state or local U.S. government entities, such as serving on NIH study sections, FDA advisory panels, or other U.S. government advisory groups, reviews or workshops.

Your form will automatically prompt you with the correct amount based on your responses to questions at the beginning of the form.

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