Conflict of Interest Training

Financial Conflict of Interest Training for Public Health Service and Department of Energy (DOE) Projects

The Public Health Service (PHS) published in the Federal Register Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Regulations which took effect in 2012.

Please note as of 2022: The Department of Energy Interim COI Policy is largely aligned with PHS/NIH requirements and will be used interchangeably throughout the policy requirements.

The regulations require mandatory investigator training regarding financial conflicts of interest prior to engaging in PHS and DOE funded research and at least every four years thereafter. All faculty who are recipients of funding from the PHS and DOE are required to take the training.  Agencies within the PHS and DOE include:

  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  • Indian Health Service (IHS)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)  


FCOI Training Plan

Princeton, in conjunction with CITI, has developed a web-based training module in order to comply with this requirement. All PHS and DOE funding recipients (PIs and Independent Investigators described on the award document) will need to complete the initial training and then every four years thereafter. Additionally, as required by the regulations, PIs must notify RIA if there are others working on any PHS and DOE funded research projects that, regardless of title or position, are responsible for the design, conduct or reporting of the research. All such personnel will also be required to complete the training.

Log in to Princeton’s FCOI course to complete the training module. Follow the instructions for logging on and affiliating with Princeton University in order to ensure that you receive credit for successfully completing the FCOI course. 

Verification of FCOI Training

Principal Investigator’s will have the responsibility to ensure that all key personnel on a project have completed training prior to engaging in the research. Key Personnel are Principal Investigators, and any others that are responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded by the PHS and DOE. The University is responsible for verifying that investigators supported by PHS and DOE have received FCOI training. Successful completion of training will be tracked for all investigators receiving PHS and DOE funding.