Outside Consulting: Tips for the Review Process

Faculty members are engaging in outside consulting in increasing numbers. Consulting can provide valuable contacts with potential research sponsors and access to product development information. To ensure that your faculty rights and obligations are protected, that protections are in place for institutional resources, and that potential conflicts of interest are addressed, consulting agreements must be reviewed in advance by the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC). Below are tips for making the process as efficient as possible.

• Review the School’s Policy on Conflict of Commitment and Interest before undertaking consulting activity. (See http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/policies_conflict.html).
• Suggest that the company use the consulting agreement template, available on-line at http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/faculty_staff/policies/facultypolicies/
  private_agreements.html. Consulting agreements based on the template generally can be reviewed and approved more quickly.
  
• Submit your proposed agreement at least three weeks in advance of the beginning of your consulting service. Most agreements require revisions before they can be approved.
• Discuss your outside time commitments with your director. Your director has final discretion with respect to your time commitment.
• Submit all documents at the same time.
  
• Agreements cannot be reviewed until OPC receives all of the following:
  1. A complete Private Agreement Disclosure Form http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/faculty_staff/policies/facultypolicies/
     private_agreements.html, including the required signature by your department director (or, for Department of Medicine, division director). Send the signed form via fax to 410-516-6399 or electronically to ccoi@jhmi.edu.
  2. A written agreement, preferably in MS Word. Send electronic documents to ccoi@jhmi.edu. Do not send original documents.
     

Confidentiality Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements
Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements involving private outside activity must be reviewed in advance by OPC. However, some confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements must be reviewed by other administrative offices, as indicated below.

A template confidentiality agreement for the purpose of private consulting is available online at http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/faculty_staff/policies/facultypolicies/
private_agreements.html .

For more information, refer to http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/faculty_staff/
policies/facultypolicies/private_agreements.html or contact OPC at 410-516-5560 or ccoi@jhmi.edu.

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