From mmreturn@magnetdev.com Wed Nov 11 10:38:32 2009 Return-Path: Received: from mail14.mmsend.com (mmsend14.mmsend.com [64.27.72.14]) by smtp.XXXXXXX.XXX (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id nABIcT4C013839 for ; Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:38:31 -0800 Message-Id: <200911111838.nABIcT4C013839@smtp.XXXXXXX.XXX> Received: from MAGNETMAIL1 (172.18.14.1) by mail14.mmsend.com id hvc2aa0ir20b for ; Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:38:26 -0500 (envelope-from ) Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:38:26 -0500 From: editor@principalinvestigators.org To: Subject: Your Issue: November 11, 2009 X-Bps1: 4356605364 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_NextPart_000_862846_20091111_133826229" X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=1.12.8161:2.4.5,1.2.40,4.0.166 definitions=2009-11-11_12:2009-10-29,2009-11-11,2009-11-11 signatures=0 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=100 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx engine=5.0.0-0908210000 definitions=main-0911110178 Status: RO --_NextPart_000_862846_20091111_133826229 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Research Compliance: Conflicts of Interest=20 Reader Question:=20 The sales manager of an equipment manufacturer from whom our lab has made l= arge purchases has emailed that he would like to take me and my grad studen= ts out to a nice dinner during the upcoming national meeting of our researc= h specialty. We obviously are already good customers. Should academics like= us accept such? Why or why not? Also would it matter if we were merely "pr= ospective" customers instead of proven ones?=20 Expert Comments:=20 Knowing how to handle vendors who pass out dinner invites, ball game ticket= s or "lunch for the lab" is today's hot button conflicts-of-interest (COI) = issue. This conundrum can be especially tricky if you genuinely like the ve= ndor's products and have a great sales rep who you've worked with for a lon= g time (and maybe, have even gone out to dinner with in the past!)=20 Most institutions' COI policies have provisions that flatly prohibit taking= gratuities from vendors, or at least require employees to avoid business r= elationship that are, or may appear to be, a conflict of interest. Your "ni= ce dinner" would certainly violate any blanket prohibition on gifts, and li= kely violates the second, especially when viewed through the eyes of a comp= eting vendor. You might be tempted to argue that "it's only dinner," especi= ally if your institution allows you to take "nominal" gifts. Your common se= nse, however, should tell you loud and clear that dinner at a nice restaura= nt with several grad students is NEVER going to fall under any de minimus e= xception.=20 View the remainder of the expert comments at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.= org/newsDetail.php?Research-Compliance-Conflicts-of-Interest-6 Comments by Kristin H. West, J.D., Associate V.P. and Director, Office of R= esearch Compliance, Emory University Atlanta=20 Agree? Disagree? Submit your comments at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.org/= newsDetail.php?Research-Compliance-Conflicts-of-Interest-6#comments Preview of Next Week's Question=20 Reader Question:=20 We have a new scientist coming to my lab from China, but a corporate sponso= r of our research only wants U.S. citizens working on the project. We aren'= t doing any kind of top secret or classified work, so this request came as = a real surprise to us. Does the sponsor have a right to do this? Are there = any other things we need to be aware of in having a non-U.S. citizen workin= g in our lab? Submitt your early-bird comments at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.org/new= sDetail.php?Research-Compliance-Foreign-Student-Permitted-on-Project-7 P.I. eAlert is delivered complimentary weekly. Enjoy this issue? Subscribe = Today at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.org/free_e_alert.php This issue was brought to you as a service by Principal Investigators Assoc= iation. If you have general questions or comments contact us at editor@prin= cipalinvestigators.org.=20 * Please note that in some cases the unsubscribe links in these messages ca= n become broken by the way that an email program displays the message. 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Research Compliance: C= onflicts of Interest

Reader Question: The sales manager of an= equipment manufacturer from whom our lab has made large purchases has emai= led that he would like to take me and my grad students out to a nice dinner= during the upcoming national meeting of our research specialty. We obvious= ly are already good customers. Should academics like us accept such? Why or= why not? Also would it matter if we were merely "prospective" customers in= stead of proven ones?

Expert Comments: Knowing how to handle vendo= rs who pass out dinner invites, ball game tickets or "lunch for the lab" is= today's hot button conflicts-of-interest (COI) issue. This conundrum can b= e especially tricky if you genuinely like the vendor's products and have a = great sales rep who you've worked with for a long time (and maybe, have eve= n gone out to dinner with in the past!)

Most institutions' COI policies have provisions tha= t flatly prohibit taking gratuities from vendors, or at least require emplo= yees to avoid business relationship that are, or may appear to be, a confli= ct of interest. Your "nice dinner" would certainly violate any blanket pro= hibition on gifts, and likely violates the second, especially when viewed t= hrough the eyes of a competing vendor. You might be tempted to argue that = "it's only dinner," especially if your institution allows you to take "nomi= nal" gifts. Your common sense, however, should tell you loud and clear tha= t dinner at a nice restaurant with several grad students is NEVER going to = fall under any de minimus exception.

Comments by Kristin H. West, J.D., Assoc= iate V.P. and Director, Office of Research Compliance, Emory University Atl= anta =20

Agree? Disagree?=20 Submit your comments

??Preview of Next Week's=20 Question??=

Reader Question: We have a new scientist= coming to my lab from China, but a corporate sponsor of our research only = wants U.S. citizens working on the project. We aren't doing any kind of to= p secret or classified work, so this request came as a real surprise to us.= Does the sponsor have a right to do this? Are there any other things we n= eed to be aware of in having a non-U.S. citizen working in our lab?


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