On the CU Boulder campus, annual online reporting of conflicts of interest and commitment occurs by submitting a Disclosure of External Professional Activities (DEPA).

The DEPA must be submitted annually between January 15 and March 31, and updates must be made within thirty (30) days of having something new to disclose.


All faculty, and any other employee (regardless of job title) or student with responsibility for the purpose, design, conduct or reporting of research are considered critical to the research process and must disclose any significant financial interest (SFI) and/or external professional activity that could compromise university decision-making or duties. 

Projects and protocols submitted to the Office of Grants and Contracts or to the IRB cannot receive approval until an annual DEPA is submitted, reviewed and approved. It is not for each individual researcher to decide if he/she must report based on a belief that no conflicts exist. ALL personnel must report, as stipulated, in order for the institution to be in compliance with federal regulations.