CONFLICT OF INTEREST & CONFIDENTIALITY GUIDELINES

Meetings and activities identified as privileged are by invitation only, are not public, and are conducted with the understanding that volunteer participants are specially invited by the TomKat Center staff for the review of new ideas and mentoring of Grantees on a privileged basis. By agreeing to take part, participants in these activities agree to:

• Maintain privileged information in the strictest confidence;
• Not use the information for personal gain at the expense of the Grantees, Stanford University or the TomKat Center; and
• Withdrawing from any activity where there might be a conflict of interest.

Advisors and Mentors must avoid positions of conflict of interest wherever possible and notify TomKat Center staff any time there is a potential conflict. Examples of such situations include, but are not limited to:

• Receiving privileged information or giving advice on a project when the advisor has a financial stake in a potential competitor.
• Giving advice on a project when the advisor has a potential financial stake in a spinout from the research. If he/she wants to be involved with the project on a professional level, he/she must notify the researcher and the TomKat Center staff immediately and step back from advising the project.
• Reviewing a proposal when the advisor has a financial stake in the success of the proposal (such as an interest to invest or a financial stake in a competitor), has a proposal under consideration in the same grant round, or if he/she has a relationship with the team that would make an objective review difficult.
• Any time a potential conflict of interest arises, the individual must step away from his/her role causing the conflict, TomKat Center staff must be notified right away, and we will together determine the next steps.