Institutions receiving funds from the Public Health Service and its associated agencies (NIH, CDC, FDA, AHRQ, etc.) and the National Science Foundation must comply with federal regulations intended to ensure objectivity in research.
Many other sponsors, while less prescriptive in their requirements, expect institutions to have a conflict of interest policy. Some have general requirements; others include specifics in each funding opportunity or solicitation.
Because of MIT’s commitment to academic integrity and objectivity in research, all Investigators, must comply with the Institute’s policy on Conflict of Interest in Research, regardless of sponsor. In most cases, by following MIT policy and the procedures that support the policy, including online PI certification for proposals, all requirements are met.
If you identify a proposal-specific requirement in a solicitation and are unsure if additional steps are needed, please contact your RAS Contract Administrator for guidance.