Texas Tech University

Important Financial Interest Disclosure Reminders for Investigators

By Amy Baugh

Texas Tech faculty and staff who participate in externally sponsored projects as investigators must disclose their significant business or financial interests by Oct. 1 of each year to the associate vice president for research-research integrity.

An investigator is defined as the principal investigator, co-principal investigators, and any other person at Texas Tech or its sub-grantees, contractors or collaborators who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research or educational activities that are funded or proposed for funding by an external entity.

Those planning to act as investigators who have no significant business or financial interests are required to complete the disclosure form to that effect.

Each investigator shall submit an updated disclosure of significant financial interests within 30 days of discovering or acquiring, through purchase, marriage or inheritance, a new significant financial interest.

Investigators who are participating in projects funded by Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), must complete a PHS-specific disclosure document annually. This form is different than the non-PHS investigator disclosure form. If your future research plans include proposals to PHS or NIH, financial conflict of interest training and PHS-specific disclosure forms must be completed no later than at the time of application. Investigators who do not complete the PHS-specific disclosure form and decide to apply for PHS funds must disclose on the appropriate form before the application is submitted.

Investigators who are planning to participate in PHS- or NIH-funded research must submit an updated disclosure of reimbursed or sponsored travel that exceeds $5,000 paid by a single entity within 30 days of each occurrence. This means that which is paid on behalf of the investigator and not reimbursed to the investigator so that the exact monetary value may not be readily available. Travel paid by NIH funds, government agencies, U.S. institutions of higher education and related research institutes, medical centers, and academic teaching hospitals DOES NOT need to be reported. Travel may be disclosed here.

Financial interest disclosure may be completed two ways:

  1. Go to the Online interactive questionnaire available via an eRaider-authenticated link and follow the prompts.
  2. Go to the Investigator Financial Disclosure Web page, click the yellow PHS Investigator Requirements button or the charcoal-colored Investigator Financial Disclosure Requirements ( non-PHS) button, and download the disclosure forms in PDF format.

More information can be found in TTU OP 70.37.

For more regarding financial interest disclosure or financial conflict of interest topics, contact Amy Baugh, financial disclosure administrator, at (806) 834-2139, or visit the Financial Disclosure website.

Amy Baugh is financial disclosure administrator in the Office of Research & Innovation.