The University of Iowa strives to ensure that its academic, health care, business, research, and teaching endeavors are conducted in a manner free of potential or actual conflicts of interest.  A conflict exists whenever personal, professional, commercial, or financial interests or activities outside of the University have the possibility (either in actuality or in appearance) of:

1. interfering with UI employees' ability to fulfill their employment obligations;
2. compromising a faculty or staff member's professional judgment;
3. biasing research or compromising, or giving the appearance of compromising, the sound professional judgment of its investigators; or
4. resulting in personal gain for the employee or employee's immediate family, at the expense of the University and/or the state.

Given the breadth of activities conducted in fulfillment of the University’s mission, unique policies govern key areas of the University enterprise.  Disclosure, review, and management are critical to the application of the following Conflicts of Commitment and Interest policies. Under these policies, few activities that represent, or appear to represent, a conflict are actually prohibited.  Rather, the rules require conflicts to be disclosed, reviewed, and managed appropriately.

For additional information about management of conflicts of commitment or interest, please consult the following policies and resources: