Any outside activity or interest that may, or may appear to, adversely affect, compromise, or be incompatible with the obligations of an employee in the institution. Conflict of interest encompasses any situation in which an employee of the university uses, or is in a position to use, his or her influence and authority within the university to advance his or her own personal or financial interest, or the personal or financial interests of individuals in the employee's household; persons to whom the employee is related by blood, adoption or marriage within the third degree of consanguinity; or persons with whom the employee has substantial and continuing outside business relationships. The bias of such conflicts could conceivably inappropriately affect the goals of research, instructional or administrative programs. The education of students, the methods of analysis and interpretation of research data, the hiring of staff, procurement of materials, and other administrative tasks at the University must be free of undue influence of outside interests. For the purposes of reporting COIs to federal funding agencies, the federal definition(s) supersedes the above definition and will be used to determine which COIs must be reported.

Includes outside compensated work or scholarly services performed by a university employee, but does not include income derived solely from passive investments. Provision of compensated outside services is recognized as a legitimate activity unless specifically prohibited by an employee's contract of employment. Compensated outside service is not considered appropriate when it interferes with the regular work of the university employee; involves unauthorized use of university facilities, personnel, or other resources; subjects other individuals or companies engaged in private practice to unfair competition; violates the general requirements of Nevada Revised Statutes 281A.400-281A.410; or involves a conflict of interest specified by NSHE or university policy.