Fee-for-service research / research design / report writing / expert advice on external research

This activity covers any work that you undertake as an individual with collaborators outside of the University. Because most faculty roles include some research component, your commitment to your University role means that you have an obligation to bring research work into the University. The Faculty Consulting Offices (FCOs) and Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) strongly encourage faculty to bring research opportunities into the University rather than undertaking these activities as a consultant.  The potential for conflicts of commitment means that requests for this type of work must be clear on why this is an appropriate external activity. 

When undertaking fee-for-service research or report writing, you do so as an individual, acting independently. This work cannot involve the use of University resources (equipment, lab space, etc.). Separation from your University role means that you cannot involve UConn students.  

You are not permitted to undertake any fee-for-service research or report writing in relation to entities you have worked with in your UConn role. E.g., we will deny a request to consult if you have been involved in a project with a company as a UConn faculty member, and this company has then requested that you undertake fee-for-service research as a consultant. Such work must be contracted through the University.

Examples of fee-for-service research activities that may be appropriate for consulting include: 

• Report writing or analysis for a third party, such as a report for a charitable organization analyzing data they have provided, where the report will be published by that organization.  
• Analysis for a for-profit entity to support their business purposes, where there would be no data produced for publication.  
• Providing specialist advice on the methods or analysis used in a wider research project at another institution, including projects supported by federal funding.  

We recommend that if you will be identified as a consultant rather than as a co-investigator on a federally-funded grant you should have a conversation with OVPR Sponsored Program Services (SPS). This is to ensure that the work is appropriate for consulting and should not be brought in through the University.   

If you have a grant activity that has been submitted through UConn SPS and you change your role from a PI or Co-PI to that of a consultant, it is likely that your consulting request will be denied. You cannot begin work in a University role and then change to undertaking this work in an individual capacity; this can create a violation of the State Code of Ethics. If circumstances mean that you will change your role from PI or co-PI to a consultant, you must ensure that this information is clearly shared with appropriate senior staff within SPS (director of pre-or post-award should be included in the discussion), and with the appropriate FCO. If you change your status on a grant without seeking consulting approval prior to the change, you may find that the request is denied.