Conflict of Interest Policy (COI):

The Retina Foundation of the Southwest (RFSW) COI policy was put into place to ensure objectivity in research funded under contracts, external grants, or cooperative agreements. This policy assists in ensuring that the institutional responsibilities undertaken by RFSW investigators will be performed without bias as a result of individual financial conflicts of interest. As such the RFSW requires investigators to disclose and the RFSW to review financial interests related to their institutional responsibilities.

The role of the Committee on Disclosures & Relationships (CDR) is to determine whether an investigator’s relationship with an external entity creates a situation that could introduce bias into a research project conducted at RFSW or by RFSW investigators, and, where this occurs, to manage it.

Disclosures and Conflict of Interest Management:

All investigators performing research at the RFSW (anyone who could be involved in the design, conduct or reporting of sponsored activities) are required to complete the following components:

• Complete an online training entitled “Conflict of Interest Course” on the nature of conflicts of interest (COI). To ensure investigators can complete the required training RFSW is employing the CITI Program offered to investigators through the University of Texas Southwestern website.
• Disclose their relevant interests to RFSW. Each Investigator must disclose activities and financial interests related to his/her institutional research.

The RFSW is required to maintain a website to ensure public accessibility to the COI policy and information concerning any significant financial interest disclosed to the RFSW that meets all of the following criteria:

• The significant financial interest was disclosed and is still held by the senior/key personnel
• The RFSW determines that the significant financial interest is related to funded research or to scholarly and/or educational activities funded under external grants, contracts or cooperative agreements; and
• The RFSW determines that the significant financial interest is a possible Financial Conflict of Interest.

The following personnel have met the above criteria:

David Birch, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  AGTC
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Editas
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Foundation Fighting Blindness
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $5,000 – $9,999

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Nacuity Pharmaceuticals
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Novartis
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  ProQR Therapeutics
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Roche- 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc.
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Eileen Birch, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator

None

Karl Csaky, M.D., Ph.D. – Principal Investigator

Name of Financial Interest Entity: Annexon Biosciences2
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity: Genentech
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $5,000 – $9,999

Name of Financial Interest Entity: NGM Biotherapeutics
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity: Roche
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $ 5,000 – $9,999

Krista Kelly, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator

None

Yi-Zhong Wang, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Genentech/Roche
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Name of Financial Interest Entity:  Allergan/AbbVie
Nature of Financial Interest Entity: Consulting – $1,000 – $5,000

Management of Potential Conflicts of Interest

When a potential financial COI exists, the CDR will take appropriate action, which may include the elimination of the financial conflict of interest, approval of a management plan, or adoption of an alternative course of action.