Conflicts of Interest Management, Third-Party Agreements, and Intellectual Property

The RURAL Cohort Study will ensure intellectual freedom of its Investigators to conduct research while promoting the disclosure of conflicts of interest, and allowing the commercial development of Intellectual Property, when appropriate.

The RURAL Cohort Study team will:

• Enable the free communication of ideas and research through publications and collaborations while ensuring the integrity and credibility of the RURAL Cohort Study’s research.
• Encourage the use of aggregate data for therapeutic discoveries and patents, especially those that would improve the social health and clinical outcomes of participants and communities in RURAL.
• Establish clear guidelines and procedures for the handling of all RURAL Cohort Study generated Intellectual Property.

The RURAL Cohort Study will align with the NIH Ethics Program’s definition of conflict of interest.

This policy applies to all RURAL Cohort Study Investigators, RURAL Cohort Study Affiliated Investigators, and Non-RURAL Cohort Study Investigators who participate in research or produce scholarly works using RURAL Cohort Study data or resources. In some instances, this policy may apply to community partners and members.

The RURAL Cohort Study is committed to the proper disclosure and management of all potential conflicts, both financial and non-financial, including conflicts of commitment by all RURAL Cohort Study Investigators, RURAL Cohort Study Affiliated Investigators, and Non-RURAL Cohort Study Investigators.

The RURAL Cohort Study Steering Committee will review and assess the level of conflict, and develop management strategies to mitigate the impact of the conflict on the RURAL Cohort Study.

Third-Party Agreements are generally encouraged if they support the RURAL Cohort Study aims, and do not compromise the RURAL Cohort Study. Third-Party Agreements will be facilitated and handled by the RURAL Cohort Study Coordinating Center at Boston University. The RURAL Cohort Study Steering Committee determines if a Third-Party Agreement is needed and/or appropriate for an approved project.

The RURAL Cohort Study Investigators, RURAL Cohort Study Affiliated Investigators, and Non-RURAL Cohort Study Investigators are advised to read the NHLBI policy on Third Party Involvement for further details

The RURAL Cohort Study Investigators, RURAL Cohort Study Affiliated Investigators, and Non-RURAL Cohort Study Investigators may apply patents using RURAL Cohort Study Related Intellectual Property, if necessary. The RURAL Cohort Study Steering Committee will review commercial licenses or patent applications.

Please review the Policy prior to the request of data. The following is a list of the current documents and forms:

• Conflicts of Interest Management Intellectual Property and Third Party Agreements Policy
• Intellectual Property and Conflicts of Interest Policy Agreement
• Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

Note: These policies and processes of this policy are subject to change based upon the growth and needs of the RURAL Cohort Study, NHLBI requests, NIH/NHLBI policies, OSMB review, and internal input.

For additional information or assistance, please contact the RURAL Cohort Study Coordinating Center at Boston University: rural@bu.edu.