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700-U Form

Form at a Glance:

Want to learn more? Take the Conflict of Interest for Researchers narrated online class.

 

What is the 700-U form?

The State of California created 700-U disclosure form is the Statement of Economic Interest for Principal Investigators, and is used for the disclosure of financial interests when projects are being funded by non-federal sponsors. Prior to making any financial disclosures, be sure to check the list of Sponsors who are Exempt from financial disclosure.

 

Please Note: The Addendum to Investigator's Statement of Economic Interests is required when a Principal Investigator (PI) has disclosed a financial interest on the 700-U form.

 

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When is the 700-U form required?

The 700-U form is required for contract and grant proposals being funded by:

  • Gifts

  • Contracts and Grants:

    • Non-Profit Agencies or For-Profit Industry:

      • Research Agreements

      • Material Transfer Agreements

      • Clinical Trial Agreements

      • Service Agreements

  • UC Discovery Grant Program:

    • MICRO - Microelectronics

    • bio - Biotechnology

    • com - Communications and Networking

    • dig - Digital Media

    • ele - Electronics Manufacturing and New Materials

    • itls - Information Technology for Life Sciences

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When is the 700-U not required?

The 700-U form is not required for:

  • Researchers other than the Principal Investigator

  • Non Profit entities on the Sponsors who are Exempt list, which includes all Non Profit tax exempt educational institutions.

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Why is the 700-U form required?

  • The State of California mandated in 1982, that principal investigators are required to disclose their financial interests when their research project is being funded or supported in whole or in part by a non-federal sponsor, such as a non-profit foundation or for-profit company.

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Who is required to submit a 700-U form?

  • Principal Investigator

Please Note: Financial interests must be reported for the PI and their spouse or registered domestic partner, and dependent children.

 

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What financial interests need to be disclosed on the 700-U form?

The financial interests that must be disclosed for non-federal sponsored research include:

  • Positions with the sponsor:

    • Positions as founder, partner, director, manager, officer, trustee, employee, or any other position of management with the sponsor.

  • Investments in the sponsor:

    • Investments in the sponsor can include stocks, bonds, warrants, and stock options, including margin or brokerage accounts that have a value totaling $2000 or more.

  • Income from the sponsor:

    • Income received from the sponsor can include consulting income, honoraria from speeches or other services that were performed, royalty payments, and stock dividends and/or interest earned, or the proceeds from any stock sales. In addition, income also includes compensation received by the University of California Health Sciences Compensation Plans.

  • Gifts from the sponsor:

    • Personal gifts from the sponsor, which includes the gift or the promise of a gift received from the sponsor of $50 or more, or multiple gifts from a single sponsor totaling $50 or more. Keep in mind that it is the acceptance of the gift, not the ultimate use of the gift, that imposes your obligation to disclose. Therefore, you must disclose the personal gift even if you never use it or even if you give it away to another person. If the exact amount of the gift is not known, you must make a good faith estimate of the item’s fair market value. Some common examples of disclosable gifts include; tickets or passes to sporting or entertainment events, or amusement parks, parking passes, transportation and lodging, and forgiveness of a loan received by you from the sponsor.

  • Loans from the sponsor:

    • Loans from the sponsor require disclosure if the outstanding balance has exceeded $500. This also includes community property interest in loans received by the spouse or registered domestic partner.

  • Travel reimbursements from the sponsor:

    • Travel reimbursement can includes per diem, payments for transportation outside California, travel advances, lodging, and meals that were received from the sponsor.

The financial interest categories above are only for activities that took place 12 months prior to the time of financial disclosure.

 

Please Note: Financial interests must be reported for the PI and their spouse or registered domestic partner, and dependent children.

 

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What financial interests do not need to be disclosed on the 700-U form?

  • Travel payments received from any state, local, or federal government agency for which you provided services equal or greater in value than the payments received.

  • Travel payments received from your employer in the normal course of your employment.

  • Payments or reimbursements for transportation within California in connection with an event at which you gave a speech, participated in a panel or seminar, or performed a similar service.

  • Food, beverages, and necessary accommodations received directly in connection with an event held inside or outside California at which you gave a speech, participated in a panel, or provided a similar service.

  • A travel payment which was received from a Non Profit entity exempt from taxation under IRS Code section 501(c)(3) for which you provided equal or greater consideration. Check the box, on the 700-U form Section 3, part F, to indicate if the payment was a gift or income, report the amount, and disclose the date(s) if applicable.

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When must I submit the 700-U form?

With:

  • Initial proposal

  • Renewal proposal

  • Additional funding

  • Any change with the PI's financial interest(s)

Also:

  • At the time of submission for any contract or grant proposal or proposal for gift funding.

  • Prior to final acceptance of a contract, grant, or gift.

  • Any time a change of investigator is made, which could include; a change of PI or the addition of a Co-PI to the project.

  • Whenever an investigator has a change in reportable financial interests during the term of an award for which disclosure is required.

  • Within 90 days after completion, in the case of a contract or grant, or after funds have been expended, as in the case of a gift.

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Where do I submit the 700-U form?

Submit the 700-U form with the funding proposal

  • For General Campus and Health Sciences proposals:

    • Research Contracts and Grants

    • Investigator-Initiated Protocols

      • Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA)

  • For Scripps Institution of Oceanography proposals:

    • Research Contract and Grants

    • Industry Service Agreements

    • Purchase Orders

      • SIO Contract and Grant Office

  • For Clinical Trial Agreements:

    • Health Sciences Clinical Trials Administrative Services and Research Compliance Office (CTAS)

  • For Industry Service Agreement and Purchase Orders:

    • Health Sciences Business Contracts and General Campus Purchasing

  • For Gifts:

    • External Relations

Please Note: An original signature is always preferred, however faxed signatures will be accepted.

 

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What happens after the 700-U form is submitted?

  • The proposal review office sends the 700-U form to the Conflict of Interest (COI) Office.

  • If no financial interest exists, then 700-U form is approved. This is referred to as a Negative Disclosure. The COI Office informs the proposal review office to release funds upon receipt of the award.

  • If a financial interest exists, this is referred to as a Positive Disclosure:

    • The 9510 form and the Addendum are forwarded to the Independent Review Committee (IRC) for further review

    • The IRC recommends a conflict of interest management strategy to the chancellor

    • Chancellor either endorses or disagrees with the recommended strategy

    • Memo is issued by the Conflict of Interest Office advising the researcher of the Chancellor's decision

Please Note:   Once the disclosure of financial interests forms have been submitted, they can be made available, upon request, to the public, under the California Public Records Act.

 

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What is the Independent Review Committee's (IRC) review process?

  • Reviews disclosure forms on a monthly basis.

  • May request PI/Co-PI to make changes in their financial relationship with company or donor.

  • Makes written recommendations to the Chancellor to manage, eliminate and/or reduce conflict of interest.

  • Chancellor executes a letter after this review and concurrence with IRC’s recommendations.

  • The COI Office sends copies of Chancellor’s concurrence letter to PI, Department Chair and others, as appropriate.

  • COI Office informs the reviewing office that the award may be accepted, as appropriate.

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Is there an appeal process to the IRC's recommendations?

If the Investigator does not agree with the IRC’s recommendations:

  • The Investigator will contact the IRC.

  • The investigator will also be asked to discuss this matter with their Dean and/or Vice Chancellor to implement the IRC’s requests recommendations or to suggest an acceptable alternative to manage the conflict of interest.

  • The IRC will meet with the Dean and/or Vice Chancellor to discuss the matter.

  • If all attempts to mediate the conflict of interest situation have not been successful, and the PI or Researcher is still not in agreement with the recommendations made by the IRC, the IRC will then recommend that funding for the project not be accepted and forward this recommendation to the Chancellor for concurrence.

  • If the PI does not concur with the IRC's recommended management strategies even after this process, the PI can appeal the decision to the Chancellor for review.

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What happens if I am required to submit the 700-U form and do not?

  • Failure to file the required Statement of Economic Interests or failure to report a financial interest may subject the individual to civil liability, including fines, as well as University discipline (Government Code sections 81000-91014).

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Contact Information:

Valerie Dixon

Director

858-534-6465

vdixon@ucsd.edu

Amber O'Banion

Senior Administrative Analyst

858-534-3695

aobanion@ucsd.edu

Mya Hines

Administrative Assistant

858-824-6465

mdhines@ucsd.edu

 

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