Conflicts of interest and competing financial interests
This page outlines the ICR's policy about disclosing, acknowledging and managing conflicts of interest with regards to research funding.
The ICR encourages members of its staff to consider research funding from a wide range of sources and to engage in a wide variety of external activities, such as serving on government, business and community boards, providing expert advice, media commentary, professional practice, outreach and collaborations with the commercial world, including via consultancy, research collaboration, knowledge exchange and intellectual property transactions. The ICR considers such funding and activities to be to the benefit of the ICR, the individual concerned and ultimately to cancer patients. However, on occasion they may give rise to conflicts of interest whether potential, actual perceived or alleged.
Competing or conflicting interests in research are those, whether of a financial nature or otherwise, that could influence the objectivity and impartiality with which research is conducted or results interpreted or which could undermine objectivity, integrity or perceived value of a piece of research.
All ICR officers, staff and students are required to recognise and disclose activities that might give rise to conflicts of interest or the perception of conflicts and to ensure that such conflicts are properly managed or avoided. If properly managed, such activities can usually proceed as normal whilst at the same time protecting the integrity and reputation of the ICR and its researchers.
It is therefore the ICR's policy to encourage and promote external activities whilst ensuring that when conflicts or perceived conflicts of interest arise they are disclosed, acknowledged, and where necessary, properly managed.