COI Analyst or Senior COI Analyst, Office of Research Support and Compliance

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

12h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Research Support and Compliance (ORSC) at The University of Texas at Austin functions to ensure that all research conducted at the University is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies. The ORSC educates and supports the University research community with regulatory guidance concerning human subjects research (Institutional Review Board), animal research (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), use of biohazardous agents and use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids (Institutional Biosafety Committee), financial conflict of interest in research (FCOI), and research integrity education. The Office of Research Support and Compliance is seeking either a Conflict of Interest (COI) Analyst or a Senior COI Analyst, based on experience and education, to provide support in ensuring compliance with federal requirements and institutional policies related to conflict of interest arising from investigators’ personal financial interests and involvement in outside professional activities, including domestic and foreign academic and industry relationships. Responsible for facilitating the review of COI Disclosure Profiles submitted by university researchers and providing support for the ORSC’s role in Conflict of Commitment, Outside Activities and Foreign Engagement review operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field plus 3 years of experience in research compliance, research administration, or academic, industry or clinical research.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field plus 5 years of experience in research compliance, research administration, or academic, industry or clinical research or Master's degree plus 3 years of experience in research compliance, research administration, or academic, industry or clinical research.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Experience in supporting a compliance program in an academic research setting.
Familiarity with processes and requirements in federally sponsored research.
Understanding of institutional environments related to academic-industry relations.
Experience in reviewing Conflicts of Interest in Research as part of a research compliance program.
Familiarity with electronic compliance management systems, particularly Huron Research Suite.

Responsibilities

Reviews and processes COI Disclosures submitted to the ORSC.
Completes Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) reviews for new sponsored projects.
Performs ongoing review of newly- and annually-updated disclosures for Conflicts of Interest related to current awards and projects.
Utilizes available internal and external sources to verify and seek additional information, when appropriate.
Communicates with investigators as necessary for clarification of disclosed information and routes disclosures for ancillary review when necessary (e.g., sponsored projects, department/supervisory, research security, intellectual property).
Assists in drafting and documenting FCOI management plans in cooperation with the Associate Director (Outside Activities) and other team members.
Communicates FCOI management requirements to investigators, supervisors, and other compliance offices (e.g., IRB) as necessary.
Assists in coordinating annual compliance review processes for investigators with FCOI management plans, including communicating due dates and documenting certification forms.
Communicates promptly and directly with disclosers via email, phone, and/or videoconference to assist them in performing disclosures, clarification responses, annual reviews, management plan review/acceptance, and other COI-related functions in the UT Research Management System.
Distributes FAQs/support materials to address questions about completion of financial and outside activity disclosures and to address common technical issues.
Assists the university community in compliance with UT and funding agency requirements related to their disclosures, and communicates the appropriate information to stakeholders as necessary.
Supports ORSC leadership and office goals by performing other tasks as assigned.
Independently drafts and implements baseline FCOI management plans and explains management plan requirements to investigators, supervisors, and other compliance offices (e.g., IRB).
Identifies and addresses FCOI compliance concerns and circumstances that may require management plan modifications as part of annual FCOI compliance reviews.
Provides support for Objectivity in Research Committee activities by gathering information about complex situations prior to monthly meetings and supporting conflicted investigators and their supervisors with implementation of rigorous management plan requirements, as determined by the Committee.
Documents standard operating procedures for FCOI reviews and other internal processes.
Evaluates and revises workflow and procedures, as needed, to identify efficiencies and address emerging concerns.
Assists in implementing procedures for collaboration across units.
Maintains up-to-date knowledge of regulations and best practices related to conflict of interest, agency disclosure requirements and related topics.