University Animal Care Committee Standard Operating Procedure
Document No: UACC 1.4
Subject: Conflict of Interest
Date Issued: September 27, 2023
Revision: Original
Location: Queen鈥檚 University
Purpose: The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to describe the procedures surrounding conflict of interest.
1. Introduction and Definitions:
It is the responsibility of the institution and the UACC to ensure that the use of animals within the institution and by its members reflects the standards of the society within which that institution exists. Therefore, every effort will be made to have diversity on the UACC and to avoid conflicts of interest to keep decisions balanced and fair. This is true for each category of member on the UACC.
Conflict of interest is defined as a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests (financial, emotional, or otherwise), one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation of the individual or organization.
Abbreviations:
- University Animal Care Committee UACC
- Principal Investigator PI
- Animal Use Protocol AUP
2. Procedures:
If at any point during the protocol review process a conflict of interest arises, the protocol reviewer is asked to declare the conflict to the UACC Coordinator and if necessary, they can be removed from the assignment (reviewers who do not feel comfortable reviewing a protocol for any reason will be accommodated). If a conflict of interest becomes apparent during a UACC meeting, affected individuals are asked to declare the conflict. Members in conflict of interest are asked to temporarily leave the discussion. The UACC strives for transparency and all final decisions are reached by consensus.
| Date | New Version |
|---|---|
| 09/27/2023 | Created and Approved |