Public Accessibility of a Conflict of Interest Related to Public Health Service-Funded Research

(Applicable to Senior and Key Personnel on PHS-funded awards or cooperative agreements with issue dates on or after August 24, 2012)

To ensure public accessibility, Research Integrity will provide a response within five business days of receiving a written request submitted according to the procedures outlined below, regarding information concerning any identified fCOIs that meet the following three criteria:

  • The SFI was disclosed and is still held by the Senior or Key Personnel for the PHS agency-funded project identified by Lehigh in the grant application, progress report, or any other required report submitted to the NIH
  • Lehigh determines that the SFI is related to the PHS agency-funded research
  • Lehigh determines that the SFI is a fCOI

The information that Lehigh will make available via a written response will include the following:

  • The Project Personnel’s name
  • The Project Personnel‘s title and role with respect to the research project
  • The name of the entity in which the SFI is held
  • The nature of the SFI
  • The approximate dollar value of the SFI (dollar ranges are permissible: $0 - $4,999; $5,000 - $9,999; $10,000 - $19,999; amounts between $20,000 - $100,000 by increments of $20,000; amounts above $100,000 by increments of $50,000) or a statement that the interest is one whose value cannot be readily determined through reference to public prices or other reasonable measures of fair market value  


Procedures for Submitting a Written Request

Public accessibility requests must be in writing and emailed or sent by U.S. mail to the contact listed below. The request must include the name of the senior or key personnel, the title of the PHS-funded research project, and the PHS grant number, if possible.  


Requests are answered in the manner they were received, within five business days and will include information required to be disclosed by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.

For more information or to submit a written request, please contact:

Naomi Coll
Director of Research Policy and Compliance
Office of the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies
Lehigh University
27 Memorial Drive West
Bethlehem, PA 18015
nac314@lehigh.edu