This policy sets out our position on conflicts of interest for researchers funded by us and commercial organisations.
We want researchers we fund to go beyond delivering and publishing their research to realise maximum patient benefit. We encourage engagement with commercial organisations to enable the translation of scientific discoveries into innovations that will improve the lives of cancer patients.
We need to make sure these activities with commercial organisations do not compromise the scientific integrity and delivery of, or chances of achieving impact on health from our funded research and that potential conflicts of interest are identified and managed.
This policy aims to define:
what constitutes a conflict of interest to us
what we require of researchers and host institutions involved in our research activities
any actions we may take if potential conflicts are identified
This policy applies to researchers and their host institutions that submit grant applications to, or are funded by, us. Researchers include for example our grant applicants and grant holders, co-investigators, named research staff and students.
This policy does not cover members of our expert review panels and committees who must adhere to Section 4, conflicts of interest in our Code of Practice for Funding Committees and Panels(PDF, 213 KB).
Conflict of interest | A conflict of interest arises when researchers funded by us or their immediate family member(s) have a personal interest in a matter which might, or might be perceived to, influence or affect the conduct, interpretation, integrity, or exploitation of our funded research. An immediate family member includes a spouse, parent, sibling, dependent child or other dependent. |
Researchers involved in our research funding activities and their host institutions must avoid any conflicts of interest which could, or could be perceived to, compromise the delivery or impact of our funded research.
This section outlines our position on potential conflicts of interest and the broad principles by which we expect these to be managed.
For us, a potential conflict of interest is any interest that researchers funded by us or their immediate family member may have which meets any of the following:
Is required to be disclosed by any policy applied by the researchers’ host institution.
Might reasonably be understood by the researcher or an objective observer to create a conflict with a grant application to us.
Creates any reputational harm to the researcher or us.
Might be seen to potentially affect:
the results of the grant activities
the publication of results
further translation or exploitation of the results
Potential conflicts of interest might include but are not limited to the following:
If a researcher funded by us or immediate family member has a relationship with any company or other commercial third party which might have an interest in the results. This includes any:
consultancies
advisory roles
directorships
equity or other financial or ownership interest
In relation to such relationships with commercial organisations, the following applies:
Any technology developed through previous research which might be further developed, utilised or promoted by the grant activities and from which technology there may be a financial interest for the company or third party or researcher directly from the commercial exploitation of such technology, including under any inventor reward scheme.
Any interest which might affect the publication of results based upon the conflict of interest policies applied by academic journals and publishers.
Any interest that a researcher may have in any entity which could benefit financially from the results.
Researchers must meet the following:
Ensure that commitments to commercial or other activities do not prejudice the timely delivery, publication and exploitation of our research without our express agreement.
Avoid any activities that jeopardise, or could be perceived as jeopardising, the ethical conduct of research and/or the potential use of our funded research outputs to improve cancer outcomes.
Disclose to their host institution as soon as possible any actual or potential conflict of interest related to the conduct of our funded research and/or the potential use of resulting research outputs.
If applying for our funding, disclose any potential conflicts of interest and how these will be managed to us. Where required at application stage, the lead applicant must complete our Disclosure of Potential Competing Interests form as part of our grant application form.
As per our grant conditions, notify us if any conflict of interest arises in relation to the grant activities.
In each case where a commercial entity has a potential interest in our funded research, researchers must inform their host institution and comply with their host institution’s requirements to manage any conflicts:
before they set up their own commercial entity
before they act as a consultant or adviser to any commercial entity
before they enter into any research collaboration, sponsorship or other funding agreement with that commercial entity
before accepting any directorship at that commercial entity
if the researcher, or any immediate family member, is employed by or owns shares in, that commercial entity
Host institutions must abide by the following:
Have formal, effective policies and procedures in place to identify and manage potential conflicts of interest of researchers applying to, and being funded by, research funders such as us.
Assess all potential conflicts of interest involving our funded researchers, their research projects, outputs and any further translation, to determine if the conflict is material and if so how it should be managed.
As per our grant conditions, ensure that conflicts of interest and their management do not put us at risk of breaching UK charity laws or regulation. The host institution must ensure that the grant, the grant activities and the useful results are applied for public benefit, and that any private benefit is only incidental and is not excessive.
Ensure that researcher relationships and activities that might create potential conflicts are set out in formal written agreements which protect our interests in the conduct of the research and the potential use of the outputs to improve cancer outcomes.
Ensure that agreements transferring ownership of, or licensing rights to, any of our funded IP comply with our grant conditions.
As per our grant conditions, notify us if any conflict of interest arises during the grant activities.
Disclosing a potential conflict of interest does not automatically preclude:
a grant application from being awarded funding from us
discontinuation of the grant activities
In most situations, we would expect there to be an appropriate mechanism in place to manage such a conflict.
If potential conflicts of interest are identified, we may do the following:
Request and discuss further information about the potential conflict and how it will be managed with the researcher and host institution.
If related to a grant application, share a summary of any disclosure to the relevant funding committee.
If it deemed the proposed mitigation steps were not sufficient, retain the right to propose and agree its own further mitigation steps to resolve any potential conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, with the researcher and host institution. These mitigation steps would form part of supplemental terms and conditions to any grant award letter from us.
Where there has been a potential breach of this policy or a host institution’s policy on conflicts, we require the following:
We should be informed as soon as possible about the issues identified and the actions taken.
We retain the right to apply sanctions which may include discontinuing a grant application or grant activities or taking other sanctions as our own discretion.
For any queries about this policy please contact:
Funding policy and governance team - policies@cancer.org.uk
For advice and support about translating research, please contact:
Cancer Research Horizons (commercial partnerships) - horizons@cancer.org.uk
For more information, please see the following documents/web pages:
