A Conflict of Commitment (COC) occurs when an individual accepts or incurs conflicting obligations or responsibilities between or among different employers or other entities, whether foreign or domestic. All individuals with employment appointments at the Institute are subject to Policies & Procedures § 7.12 Conflict of Commitment.
A COC may arise when pursuing Outside Professional Activities (OPA). Faculty, researchers, research staff, academic instructional staff, postdocs, and others as directed are required to disclose only those OPAs which are or appear to be Reasonably Related to their Institutional Responsibilities and ensure their OPAs are Separate and Distinct from their Institutional Responsibilities. Note: While subject to the Institute’s Conflict of Commitment policy, administrative staff are not required to disclose OPAs using MyCOI-OPA+ but must follow guidance specific to them as outlined in the OPA guidance document for Administrative Staff.
OPA Disclosures
Faculty, researchers, research staff, academic instructional staff, postdocs, and others as directed must disclose any Outside Professional Activity that appears to be Reasonably Related to their Institutional Responsibilities:
- Within 30 days of starting a new engagement or changes to an existing one
- If 12 months have passed since their last OPA disclosure
Updated August 2025