Conflicts of Interest Officers
Joni Prasad
School of Medicine COI Officer
Alison Watkins
UMB COI Officer
COI Exemption Policy
State of Maryland Employees
As a state education institution, all School of Medicine faculty are employees of the State of Maryland and are subject to the State of Maryland Ethics Law. Amongst other things, this ethics law prohibits our faculty from:
- Participating in a matter if they or a close relative (a) have an economic interest in the matter, (b) are an officer, director, or trustee in the business entity, or (c) if the matter involves a business entity in which they have a direct financial interest.
- Being employed by or having a financial interest in an entity that is negotiating or has entered into a contract with UMB.
FAQ | State of Maryland Ethics Law
Conflict of Interest Exemptions to State Law
An exemption may granted when the activity results in a clear benefit to the State of Maryland and any potential conflicts can be managed. Examples include consulting agreements, equity ownership in private companies by university employees, holding office or board membership in companies, and dual employment by the University and private business, particularly when investigators receive sponsored research funds from those private companies.
Request a COI Exemption
To request a COI exemption, please complete the Exemption Request form in eDisclose. The request will be automatically routed to Joni Prasad, the COI Officer for the School of Medicine.
The required chain of approval for the exemption request is:
- Faculty member's academic unit leader
- SOM Conflict of Interest Officer
- Dean of the School of Medicine
- UMB Conflict of Interest Officer
- UMB President
If approved, the COI exemption will include a plan to manage any conflict-of-interest concerns as well as the requirement for annual reporting to the SOM COI Officer. A material change in the relationship will trigger the need to file updated forms. A terminal report is required when the relationship ends.