To all Research Investigators,

Over the past several months, members of the ODU Office of Research have been working on the development and implementation a new Research Conflict of Interest (COI) Management System for all research Investigators. The new Research COI Management System will provide a better experience for research faculty The implementation will start with “soft launch” beginning 1/22/2024, during which the team will be testing the disclosure form process in a kind of beta mode, opening it up for those who have COI disclosures expiring and specific groups, including department Chairs, Associate Deans for Research, Deans, and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, allowing the team continue to address technical and administrative issues. The experiences of the early users will be collected and relayed to the team who will make final changes before the full system launch to the broader research community, which we are aiming for the beginning of February 2024.

How will the new Research COI Management System affect you:

• Research COI Disclosure Location: The COI Disclosure will no longer be done on IRBNet or Qualtrics, COI has been removed from both platforms. The new Research COI Management System will only be accessible through the ODU Research Portal. All research Investigators will be required to submit a COI disclosure within the new system as part of the full launch initiative that is aimed to kick off in the beginning of February 2024.
• Research COI Disclosure Submission: The new electronic COI Disclosure Form was designed to make submitting the COI Forms much easier and faster, using progressive smart functionality that will open and hide sections based on the answers you provide and carryover abilities for annual year-over-year updates.
• Convenient Dashboard: The new My COI dashboard provides the ability to view the progress of your disclosure as it makes its way through review by the Office of Research’s Assistant Vice President for Research Compliance, and if needed, the COI Committee review process.
• Automated Data Integration: The new Research COI Management System integrates annual disclosure data with related sponsored research projects.
• Travel Disclosure: Fast and easy travel disclosure submissions required for Investigators with Public Health Service (PHS) or Department of Energy (DOE)-funded research projects.

ODU’s research programs continue to grow and expand, allowing the University to maintain its status as an R1 institution with “highest research activity” in the Carnegie Classifications. This new Research COI Management System will aid in the continued advancement of ODU’s research portfolio and compliance. More information on the progress of the soft and full system launch, timelines, and accomplishments will continue to be provided over the next several weeks coming and will also be updated on the Research Conflict of Interest Website.

If you have any questions or troubles with the Research COI Management System, please send an email to the COI team at rfhelpdesk@odu.edu.

Ken Fridley, Ph.D., F.ASCE
Vice President for Research, and
Interim Dean, Batten College of Engineering & Technology