Consulting

All University employees are responsible for ensuring their outside activities comply with all applicable University policies and do not conflict with any of their obligations to the University.

Department Approval 
Before you enter a consulting or other outside relationship, you must secure approval from your department chair or equivalent supervisor.  Contact your department, division, or center to inquire about any additional unit-specific requirements for approval of outside activities that apply to you.    

Use of University Resources
Personnel are generally not permitted to use University resources, including facilities, personnel and equipment, for outside activities.  Policy RI 01 permits only incidental use of University resources for such activities, which means that use must not interfere with your official duties or the duties of other University personnel.  What incidental use, if any, is appropriate is determined by your department chair or other equivalent supervisor.  

Use of University Time
With prior supervisor approval, faculty may be permitted to use up to one day per week of University time for outside activities.  Faculty may also conduct outside activities on their personal time.  For more information on faculty use of University time, click here. 

Staff may only conduct outside activities on their personal time.  

Consulting with Licensed Start Up Companies
You must contact the COI Division to obtain approval from the COI Committee before you enter a relationship with a University Licensed Start Up Company (LSC).  For more information, click here. 

For Schools of the Health Sciences:  Industry Relationships Policy
All faculty, staff, trainees, and students in the Schools of the Health Sciences (SOHS) are subject to the Industry Relationships Policy.  The policy governs interactions between SOHS personnel and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and hospital equipment supply companies.

For more information about the Industry Relationships Policy, please click here. 

Disclosure of Outside Activities
You must update your form to include any new outside activities within 30 days.   For more information about disclosing your interests, please click here.

Conflict Management
Please contact the COI Division at COI@pitt.edu for assistance with conflict management if your outside activity will include any of the following:  

• Receiving more than $10,000 cash in a 12-month period; 
• Receiving equity in a non-publicly traded company;
• Serving as a management, officer or member of the board of directors; 
• Receiving royalties or milestone payments exceeding $10,000 in a 12-month period; or
• Receiving sponsored or reimbursed travel exceeding $10,000 in a 12-month period

PHS-Funded Personnel
If you are an investigator on a PHS grant, and you expect to earn between $5,000 and $10,000 in a 12-month period, your department chair or equivalent supervisor must review your activity to ensure it does not create a conflict with any of your PHS-funded research.  For information about department PHS reviews, click here.