Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management

Welcome to the Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management at Vanderbilt University.

Our office serves as a resource to the University community on the Vanderbilt University Conflict of Interest and Commitment Policy. Conflicts of interest may arise in situations in which an individual’s (or the individual’s family member’s) financial, professional, or other personal considerations may directly or indirectly affect, or have the appearance of affecting, the individual’s professional judgment in exercising any University duty or responsibility. Our office strives to provide excellent service to our customers, and our website includes many conflict of interest resources.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if you would like our office to provide conflict of interest training to your University department.

PHS Public Requests for Information

Vanderbilt University (University) ensures public accessibility of certain information regarding identified conflicts of interest with funding received from agencies of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Information concerning a Significant Financial Interest (SFI) disclosed to the University which is related to PHS-funded research and which the University has determined constitutes a Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI), is publicly available upon receipt of a valid request, as detailed below:

  • Instructions for Requesting Information Regarding Conflicts of Interest Related to PHS-Funded Research
    1. Complete a form for each SFI for which you are seeking information. Please note that all requested information is required to be filled in. Incomplete forms will not be considered, and will not be responded to. If you do not have the grant number, you may contact or conduct a search with the appropriate sponsoring agency (see below for website links to some PHS-related sponsoring agencies).
    2. Print, sign, and attach a scanned copy of the form to an email. The title of the email should be "PHS Public Request for Information." Send the email with attachment to coi@vanderbilt.edu.
    3. Alternatively, you can print the completed form, sign, and send it by regular mail to:

      Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management
      Vanderbilt University
      Attention: Conflict of Interest Coordinator
      2100 West End Avenue, Suite 1100
      Nashville, TN 37203
  • Responses

    You will receive a written response via email to the email address provided in the form within five (5) business days of receipt of a valid request. Please note that you will receive specific information regarding the Investigator only if the University has determined that an FCOI exists. In that case, the report will contain the following information:

    1. Investigator’s name
    2. Investigator’s title and role with respect to the research project
    3. Name of the entity in which the significant financial interest is held
    4. Nature of the financial interest
    5. Approximate dollar value (in ranges) of the significant financial interest, or a statement that the interest is one that cannot be readily determined through reference to public prices or other reasonable measures of fair market value

    The information provided will be current as of the date of the correspondence and is subject to updates, on at least an annual basis and within sixty (60) days of Vanderbilt’s identification of a new FCOI. Updated information will not be reported to you. You must submit a new request to seek updated information.

  • Sponsoring Agency Links

Additional Resources

Contact Us

2100 West End Ave, Suite 1100
Nashville, TN 37203
coi@vanderbilt.edu

Spruell Driver, Director, Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management
spruell.driver@vanderbilt.edu 615-875-8064

Alison Cooper, Associate Director, Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management
alison.r.cooper@vanderbilt.edu 615-322-8363

Please note that Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is responsible for the oversight of its own conflict of interest program. To request information about identified conflicts of interest of VUMC faculty, please visit: https://www.vumc.org/faculty/compliance.