Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy for Congress Presentations
ASHS Congress requires presenters to appropriately disclose any conflicts of interest related to their presentations. The following policy sets out the procedures for COI self-disclosure, review by the Conflict of Interest Management Committee, COI disclosure in presentation materials, and record-keeping by the Congress Secretariat.
Purpose
This policy sets out the procedures for the disclosure, review, and management of conflicts of interest related to oral presentations, poster presentations, symposia, lectures, and other presentations at the ASHS Congress. The purpose of this policy is to ensure transparency, fairness, and academic reliability in congress presentations by requiring presenters to disclose any financial, professional, or organizational interests that may be related to the subject matter of their presentations. The existence of a conflict of interest does not, in itself, imply misconduct or make a presentation inappropriate. This policy is intended to ensure that any relevant interests are properly disclosed so that participants and audiences can understand the context of the presentation.
Scope
This policy applies to all individuals who make presentations, lectures, reports, or other academic contributions at the ASHS Congress. This includes, but is not limited to, oral presenters, poster presenters, symposium speakers, invited speakers, designated discussants, and any other individuals whom the Congress Secretariat or the Conflict of Interest Management Committee considers subject to disclosure. In the case of joint presentations, the presenter or first presenter shall confirm, to the best of their knowledge, any relevant conflicts of interest of co-presenters and disclose them when necessary.
Definition of Conflict of Interest
For the purposes of this policy, a conflict of interest refers to any financial, professional, or organizational interest that may affect, or may appear to affect, the planning, conduct, analysis, interpretation, presentation, or dissemination of the content of a congress presentation. Conflicts of interest may involve relationships with companies, organizations, public agencies, sole proprietorships, nonprofit organizations, or other entities. A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate research misconduct or an ethical violation. However, when such an interest is related to the subject matter of a presentation, it must be appropriately disclosed.
Interests Subject to Disclosure
Presenters shall disclose any of the following interests when they are related to the subject matter of the presentation.
Remuneration from companies, organizations, or businesses related to the research topic
This includes officer compensation, advisory fees, consulting fees, lecture fees, training fees, manuscript fees, and other similar forms of remuneration.
Business income related to the research topic
This includes cases in which the presenter conducts business or professional activities related to the subject matter of the presentation as a sole proprietor, representative of a corporation or organization, officer, advisor, consultant, trainer, or program provider, and receives economic benefits such as participation fees, program fees, user fees, sales revenue, commissioned fees, or other business income.
Research funding from joint or commissioned research
This includes joint research funds, commissioned research funds, contract research funds, survey fees, or other research-related funds received from companies, organizations, public agencies, or other external entities.
Donations, endowed courses, or grants
This includes donations, endowed courses, research grants, subsidies, or other similar funding related to the subject matter of the presentation.
Free provision of research-related materials, services, or data
This includes the free provision of research equipment, software, applications, teaching materials, programs, data, venues, personnel support, or other resources.
Stock ownership, equity interests, or stock options
This includes ownership of stocks, equity interests, stock options, or other financial interests in companies, organizations, or businesses related to the subject matter of the presentation.
Intellectual property rights or licensing income
This includes income from patents, trademarks, copyrighted works, teaching materials, scales, programs, applications, training packages, or other intellectual property related to the subject matter of the presentation.
Other relationships that may affect the interpretation of the presentation
This includes any other financial, professional, or organizational relationship that may affect, or may appear to affect, the neutrality, objectivity, or interpretation of the presentation.
Submission of the COI Self-Disclosure Form
Presenters shall submit the designated COI Self-Disclosure Form when requested by the Congress Secretariat or the Conflict of Interest Management Committee. The COI Self-Disclosure Form may be submitted by an online form, PDF file, paper form, or any other method designated by the Congress Secretariat. When an online form is used, submission of the form shall be regarded as an official COI self-disclosure by the presenter.
The COI Self-Disclosure Form shall include presenter information, presentation information, the presence or absence of conflicts of interest, details of any disclosed interests, their relationship to the subject matter of the presentation, and the planned disclosure statement to be included in the presentation materials when applicable. By submitting the COI Self-Disclosure Form, the presenter confirms that the information provided is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge and understands that, if a relevant conflict of interest exists, disclosure in the presentation materials may be required.
Even when no conflict of interest exists, the Congress Secretariat or the Conflict of Interest Management Committee may request presenters to submit a statement declaring that there are no conflicts of interest related to the presentation.
Review by the Conflict of Interest Management Committee
The Conflict of Interest Management Committee shall review submitted COI Self-Disclosure Forms and confirm the relationship between the disclosed interests and the subject matter of the presentation. When the Committee determines that a disclosed interest is related to the presentation, it may require the presenter to disclose the conflict of interest in the presentation materials. The Committee may, when necessary, request additional explanations, supporting documents, revision of the disclosure statement, or partial revision of the presentation materials.
COI Disclosure in Presentation Materials
When disclosure is required, oral presenters shall include a COI disclosure slide near the beginning of their presentation materials. For poster presentations, the COI disclosure statement shall be included in the poster, preferably in the acknowledgements section, at the end of the poster, or in another clearly visible location. Presenters may use the COI disclosure slide format provided by the Society. However, presenters may also use a format designated by their institution, provided that the required information is clearly stated.
COI Disclosure in Presentation Materials
The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not, by itself, restrict or cancel a presentation. When a conflict of interest related to the subject matter of a presentation is properly disclosed, the presentation will, in principle, be permitted. However, if the presentation is excessively promotional of a particular product, service, organization, or business, if there are serious concerns regarding the neutrality or objectivity of the presentation, or if false disclosure or significant nondisclosure is suspected, the Conflict of Interest Management Committee or the Congress Secretariat may consider necessary measures, including revision of the presentation content, addition or revision of the disclosure statement, change of presentation format, or cancellation of the presentation.
Secretariat Review Record
The Congress Secretariat shall prepare and retain a Secretariat Review Record concerning the submitted COI Self-Disclosure Form, the review result by the Conflict of Interest Management Committee, communications with the presenter, and the confirmation status of the COI disclosure slide or disclosure statement. The Secretariat Review Record shall include the date of receipt, presenter name, presentation title, disclosed interests, reviewer name, review category, response policy, date of communication with the presenter, and any relevant notes. When an online form is used, the submitted response data may be used as part of the Secretariat Review Record.
Review Categories
The results of COI review shall, in principle, be classified into the following categories.
A: No conflict of interest No conflict of interest related to the subject matter of the presentation is identified.
B: Conflict of interest exists; presentation permitted with disclosure A conflict of interest related to the subject matter of the presentation exists, but the presentation may proceed with appropriate disclosure.
C: Additional confirmation required Additional confirmation is required regarding the disclosed interests, their relationship to the presentation, the source of funding, business activities, or the disclosure statement.
D: Further review by the Committee required Careful review by the Committee is required because the presentation may be strongly promotional, there may be serious concerns regarding neutrality, or false disclosure or significant nondisclosure may be suspected.
False Disclosure or Nondisclosure
If it is found that a presenter has made a false disclosure or failed to disclose a significant conflict of interest related to the presentation, the Congress Secretariat or the Conflict of Interest Management Committee may request an explanation from the presenter. When necessary, the Society may consider measures including revision of the disclosure statement, correction of the presentation record, cancellation of the presentation, or restrictions on future congress presentations.
Handling of Personal Information and Disclosure Information
Information contained in COI Self-Disclosure Forms, including information submitted through online forms, and Secretariat Review Records shall be used only for the purpose of confirming and managing conflicts of interest in congress presentations. Such information shall be handled by the Congress Secretariat, the Conflict of Interest Management Committee, and other relevant persons only to the extent necessary. Access to submitted forms and records shall be limited to persons who need the information for COI confirmation and management. The information shall not be disclosed to third parties without justifiable reason. However, information that is determined to require disclosure may be made public in the presentation materials or poster. The Congress Secretariat shall take appropriate measures to manage submitted information, including access control, secure storage, and prevention of unauthorized disclosure.
Examples of COI Self-Disclosure and Presentation Disclosure Statements
No conflict of interest
The presenter declares no conflicts of interest related to this presentation.
Business income related to the research topic
The presenter is the representative of an organization that conducts activities related to the topic of this presentation and receives business income, including program participation fees. This relationship has been disclosed to the Congress Secretariat.
Research funding or commissioned research funding
This presentation is related to research supported by [name of company/organization]. This relationship has been disclosed to the Congress Secretariat.
Free provision of materials, services, or data
The presenter received free provision of [materials/services/data/software] from [name of company/organization] in relation to this presentation. This relationship has been disclosed to the Congress Secretariat.
Position as officer, advisor, consultant, or similar role
The presenter serves as [position] for [name of company/organization], which is related to the subject matter of this presentation. This relationship has been disclosed to the Congress Secretariat.
COI Disclosure Slide Format
The COI disclosure slide for oral presentations should include the following elements.
Title: Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Presentation title: [Title of presentation]
Presenter: [Name of presenter]
Disclosure: [COI disclosure statement]
Example 1: No conflict of interest
The presenter declares no conflicts of interest related to this presentation.
Example 2: Conflict of interest exists
The presenter is the representative of an organization that conducts activities related to the topic of this presentation and receives business income, including program participation fees.
This relationship has been disclosed to the Congress Secretariat.
Supplementary Provision
This policy is established as the policy for COI self-disclosure and disclosure by presenters at the ASHS Congress. Matters not provided for in this policy shall be discussed and handled by the Congress Secretariat and the Conflict of Interest Management Committee as necessary.
Published 21, July, 2026