Compliance - Conflict of Interest - Outside Activity Reporting

Outside Activity Reporting (OAR) is an annual required report for faculty, academic staff, limited appointments, and human subjects researchers in which all outside activities related to institutional responsibilities are reported. This encompasses all professional responsibilities at UW-Madison, including: research, instruction, extension/outreach, and administrative activities.

New Employee Information

New faculty and academic staff members should report their outside activities shortly after starting employment at the university. Please refer to the "Instructions to Submit" under "Employee Information". If you have any questions, begin by asking your supervisor.

Employee Information

Instructions to Submit

The authoritative set of instructions and documentation can be found on the Outside Activities Reporting Dashboard under Instructional Guides.

Who is Required to Submit?

Frequently Asked Questions about Conflict of Interest

What is Reportable?

Individual Financial Conflict of Interest: What to Report

When Do I Need to Complete My OAR?

  • Faculty, academic staff, and human subjects researchers are required to report annually (typically no later than April 30) any outside activity related to their UW work.
  • Federally funded researchers must report outside activities at least annually, and potentially more often - on a timetable related to their grant funded work.
  • New faculty and academic staff members should report their outside activities shortly after starting employment at the university.
  • Throughout the year, faculty, academic staff, and other researchers must report significant changes to their outside activities at the time they occur.

Why Do I Need to Complete OAR?

Outside activities are encouraged - and the Wisconsin Idea enshrines our commitment to positively influence people's lives beyond the classroom and the lab. At the same time, outside activities must not conflict with university responsibilities or contribute to potential bias in research. Timely and accurate reporting of outside activities helps to ensure this.

What Happens If I Do Not Complete an OAR?

Failure to complete your OAR by the due date will be recorded and may impact your eligibility for compensation adjustments, including performance and pay plan, in alignment with UW System policy.

Additional Information on OAR

Get Help

  • If you have questions about the OAR form, how to use it, what to do with it, or anything else related to outside activity reporting, please begin by contacting your supervisor.
  • If your supervisor cannot answer your question, please contact your divisional HR: hr@extension.wisc.edu

Keywords:
OAR Outside Activity Reporting Conflict Interest Compliance 
Doc ID:
100388
Owned by:
Nathaniel S. in Extension Handbook
Created:
2020-04-09
Updated:
2023-03-19
Sites:
Extension Handbook