Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a personal interest may compromise or bias an employee’s professional judgment and objectivity when performing research or making decisions on behalf of the university.

For example, if a Mason employee also has an outside financial interest in a company that has a contract or transaction with Mason, that personal interest could create a conflict of interest. In that situation, the employee may have conflicting loyalties or responsibilities between their own self-interest and the interests of Mason.