Application of Guiding Principles

In an effort to ensure that MIT manages or eliminates Financial Conflicts of Interests, MIT has defined various actions or activities that either are not permitted or require prior approval.

Investigators may not:

  1. accept research sponsorship or gifts, in support of the Investigator’s Institutional Responsibilities from a for-profit privately-held Related Entity;
  2. subcontract to a for-profit privately-held Related Entity;
  3. negotiate with MIT on behalf of a Related Entity, or negotiate with the Related Entity on behalf of MIT;
  4. involve a student for whom the Investigator is a thesis supervisor in the Investigator’s Outside Professional Activities;
  5. divert research opportunities to a Related Entity, which are more appropriately undertaken at MIT, such as research sponsorship or other projects;
  6. promote the use of products or services of a Related Entity in the course of the Investigator’s Institutional Responsibilities; or
  7. engage in research involving human subjects that could reasonably be expected to affect the financial condition of a Related Entity.

An Investigator must obtain the prior written approval of the Investigator’s Department, Lab, or Center Head (e.g. Designated Official), and in appropriate cases, enter into a management plan, before the Investigator:

  1. accepts research sponsorship or gifts, in support of the Investigator’s Institutional Responsibilities from a publicly-held or non-profit Related Entity;
  2. accepts an in-kind gift from a publicly-held or non-profit Related Entity for use in his or her Institutional Responsibilities;
  3. accepts research sponsorship from a Related Entity from which the Investigator receives Remuneration (for example, it may be permissible for an Investigator to receive research sponsorship from a Related Entity for whom the Investigator consults if the Designated Official determines that the consulting scope of work and the research scope of work are separate and distinct);
  4. purchases goods or services from a Related Entity (for example, the Designated Official, in collaboration with Procurement, could determine that the goods and services are not commercially available from another provider);
  5. provides goods, services, or access to facilities to a Related Entity (for example, MIT may determine to make certain unique facilities available for use by outside entities, in which case a Related Entity could be entitled to use the facilities on the same basis as other entities);
  6. involves a student for whom the Investigator is not a thesis supervisor in his or her Outside Professional Activities, as an employee or consultant or in any other capacity (such involvement may be beneficial for the student, but the student’s educational experience must not be diminished or diverted);
  7. involves staff in the Investigator’s Related Entity’s activities;
  8. requests an appointment for an individual from a Related Entity to participate in research at MIT.