OATS is a web-based application to facilitate reporting and disclosure of outside professional activities. The University of California allows Compensation Plan participants to engage in outside activities but issues such as the time threshold, earnings threshold, conflict of interest, and conflict of commitment must be considered. The earnings threshold refers to receipt of cash, stock, and stock options.

Disclosure requirements:

• Faculty members must disclose all outside professional activities in OATS as well as address potential conflicts of interest or intellectual property issues with the appropriate offices.
• Conflict of commitment: The time dedicated to and earnings (cash, stock, stock options) from Category I and II outside professional activities must be disclosed in OATS every year.
  • All category I and II outside professional activities, whether compensated or uncompensated, must be reported annually. Time should be reported during the fiscal year in which services are performed and earnings should be reported during the fiscal year in which compensation is received. Documentation of time spent and income received from the activity may be reported under different fiscal years.
  • Category I activities and requests to exceed the earnings and/or time thresholds require pre-approval as detailed in Section V of the department compensation plans.
  • All clinical and/or patient care activities must be provided within the University setting or as part of an approved affiliation agreement or a Professional Service Agreement. Faculty who are members of the Compensation Plan ("Plan Participants") are not allowed to perform any outside clinical work, outside patient care activities, nor retain income from outside clinical activities.
• Conflict of interest: Conflicts of interest are not managed through OATS. Contact the Conflict of Interest Advisory Committee (COIAC) to discuss conflicts of interest related to outside professional activities.
• Intellectual property: Questions about intellectual property as a function of outside professional activities must be discussed with the Office of Technology Management and Advancement (OTMA).

Currently, these reporting systems are not integrated. You may be required to report to the COAIC and/or OTMA if you have activities that create a conflict of interest or may involve intellectual property. If you are uncertain of the requirements, contact these offices for clarification of disclosure requirements.