Conflict of interest policy

Fight for Sight makes every effort to ensure that its decisions are fair, impartial and transparent. It has a conflict-of-interest (COI) policy applicable to external reviewers and the Research Grants Assessment Panel (RGAP), staff and trustees involved in the review process.

All external reviewers invited to review an application are asked to declare if they have any vested interest (organisational, collaborative, personal or other) in the application.

All RGAP members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement when they join the panel.

A conflict of interest arises where an individual’s personal interests, loyalties or relationships could, or could reasonably be perceived to, influence their judgement or decision-making on behalf of the charity.

Conflicts may be:

• Actual – a direct conflict exists;

• Potential – a conflict could arise in the future;

• Perceived – a reasonable external observer could question impartiality.

A conflict arises where a panel member or independent peer reviewer has an interest that could, actually or as a matter of perception, cast doubt on the objectivity of funding decisions.  Conflicts of interest in the context of research and grant review include, but are not limited to:

• Being an applicant, co-applicant or collaborator;

• Having a personal relationship, connection or business interest with an applicant (including spouse/partner, children, siblings, parents);

• Being a direct competitor of an applicant;

• Institutional conflicts (including employment by the same organisation);

• Co-authorship or recent academic collaboration (within three years);

• Financial interests (direct or indirect).

All conflicts actual, potential or perceived must be declared as soon as possible to the Programme Team at Grants@fightforsight.org.uk.

Where a conflict is identified, the following actions may be taken depending on the nature, severity and likely implications of the conflict:  

• Full participation permitted (where conflict is minor and disclosed);

• Participation in discussion but not decision-making;

• Recusal from part or all of a discussion;

• Exclusion from receipt of papers;

• Reallocation of responsibilities;

• Withdrawal from the role.

In cases where a member or reviewer is uncertain as to whether a conflict of interest exists, he/she must discuss this matter with the charity’s grant administration team and report to the Chair.