To identify, mitigate and manage any potential conflicts with academic, research or other Institutional Responsibilities, members of the MIT community must disclose Financial Conflicts of Interest (FCOI) and Outside Professional Activities (OPA). Disclosure requirements differ based on one’s role at MIT and whether one has sponsored research.
MyCOI-OPA+
MyCOI-OPA+ streamlines the reporting process for Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI), Outside Professional Activity (OPA) and other disclosures. MyCOI-OPA+ facilitates:
- Rolling disclosures and updates at any time
- Transparency and compliance with federal and MIT policies
Financial Conflict of Interest Disclosures
Investigators and key persons (as required by sponsor) must submit a financial conflict of interest (FCOI) disclosure in MyCOI-OPA+:
- At proposal stage (during proposal certification), if there is a potential conflict of interest
- At award stage (when an award is received), if no disclosure was submitted at proposal
- On a rolling basis:
- Within 90 days of acquiring or changing a Significant Financial Interest (SFI)
- PHS and some other federally sponsored investigators must disclose within 30 days, and include Sponsored Travel in their disclosure
- If 12 months have passed since their last FCOI disclosure
- Within 90 days of acquiring or changing a Significant Financial Interest (SFI)
Outside Professional Activity 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 in MyCOI-OPA+:
- Within 30 days of starting a new engagement or renewing an existing one
- If 12 months have passed since their last OPA disclosure
Administrative Staff and Graduate Students
Administrative staff, including sponsored research administrative staff, report Outside Professional Activities to their supervisors according to departmental processes and generally do not use MyCOI-OPA+.
Graduate students considering Outside Professional Activities generally do not use MyCOI-OPA+. They should follow the policies outlined in Graduate Policies and Procedures:
Updated August 2025