I completed an Outside Interest Disclosure form as a new employee, do I still need to complete another form when the annual notification email is sent out?
Answer: Yes, the IRIS system tracks annual notifications beginning on a specific date each year. In order to meet the policy requirement an Outside Interest Disclosure form must be submitted each year after the annual notification is sent out.
I completed the required Outside Interest Disclosure during my new hire orientation/onboarding process. Why am I being asked to complete it again?
Answer: The Outside Interest Disclosure (OID) requirement is mentioned as one of the items required of new hires to complete, within 30 days of their hire date, but the OID form is not part of the materials completed during this process. Therefore, you are being asked to complete the form because it is still outstanding.
When logging into the IRIS Web Portal to complete the OID form, the system shows an error box stating I can’t complete the form because I have an active for in process. What does this mean?
Answer: The system will not let an employee submit a new form until any previous forms have been completed through the systems workflow approval process. When receiving this message, this means your previously submitted form is still being held within an approvers IRIS inbox, either your supervisors, Research, or CBO workflow stops. In these cases, please contact Jay Taylor Bailey, vtaylor@utk.edu for assistance.
Should I discuss my intention to participate in an outside interest with my supervisor before planning to do so, even if I am doing it on my own time?
Answer: Yes, before entering into any agreements or outside interests, you should work with your supervisor to gain their agreement that the outside interest will not conflict with any of your roles and responsibilities for the University.
Am I prohibited from entering into an outside interest with a foreign entity?
Answer: No, outside interests and collaborations are encouraged; however, those interests need to be reviewed and approved prior to entering into any agreements. While no affiliations are prohibited, employees must keep in mind if they plan to submit for any funding opportunities, certain foreign affiliations my not be allowable under the terms and conditions of the funding agent.
How do I know if I am supposed to complete the form?
Answer: Please review University Policy, GE0002-Conflicts of Interest and Commitments, along with the supporting Guidance documents for information. If you do not find the answers you are needing in these documents, please contact Jay Taylor Bailey, vtaylor@utk.edu, for assistance.
As a supervisor approving annual OID forms, am I required to hold approval of the forms until I have completed the Annual Performance Review for the employee?
Answer: No, you are not required to hold the form. Placing importance on ensuring the forms/disclosed outside activities are reviewed within the context of the performance review allows supervisors and employees the opportunity to discuss how the outside activities can benefit/affect the employee’s UT responsibilities. The form can be approved at any time by supervisors; however, the expectation that discussions regarding outside activities are included within the annual review process still exists.
I submitted my annual Outside Interest Disclosure form; however, my supervisor has not approved my form. Does this mean I am out of compliance if my form isn’t approved?
Answer: No, you are considered compliant. The policy only requires the employee to submit the form and comply with any concerns addressed regarding outside interests disclosed.
I need to attach documents to my annual Outside Interest Disclosure form; however, the system doesn’t appear to allow for this. How can I attach support documents to my form?
Answer: Documents can be attached on the first (main page) of the Outside Interest Disclosure page. If you need assistance with attaching documents, please contact Jay Taylor Bailey, vtaylor@utk.edu, for assistance.
I have too many stocks to list on the disclosure form; therefore, can I just make a general statement regarding stock ownership?
Answer: No, general statements of stock ownership exceeding 5% or $5,000 in value does not allow for adequate conflict review. Ownership exceeding the threshold must be specifically disclosed to ensure the University can appropriately vet them in relation to employee job responsibilities and organizational activities. Employees can use the attachment feature to attach a list of information to the form, and just note in the sections to see attachments.
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Where can previously submitted Outside Interest Disclosure Forms be located?
On the IRIS Web Portal, under the “Personal Information” section, you will find the link to access the Outside Interest Disclosure form. The same link to submit the form is where you can also locate the option for viewing previous forms. This option is listed in the top right of the OID Form page and states “View Previous Forms.”