OVPR Staff Profile Series – Anne Tibbetts, Director for Outside Activities, Office of Research Support and Compliance
Anne Tibbetts manages a crucial university administrative function that oversees faculty members’ roles in outside (professional) activities and potential conflicts of interest in the Office of Research Support and Compliance (ORSC).
What is your title and role at UT? How long have you worked at the university?
I am the Director for Outside Activities; I manage the Outside (Professional) Activities and Conflict of Interest program in the Office of Research Support and Compliance. I have been in the ORSC for about six years but have been at UT for a long time. I came to Austin to pursue a PhD in biochemistry, which I completed in 1999. When I took my first postdoc position at UT, I didn’t expect that I would still be at the University more than 20 years later.
I have worked in a variety of research and teaching roles, including leading an undergraduate research group as part of the Freshman Research Initiative in the College of Natural Sciences. My first administrative position was in the College of Natural Sciences Dean’s office, supporting graduate and postdoctoral programs. I moved into the Office of Research Support and Compliance in 2017.
As Director for Outside Activities you play an extremely important support role for UT faculty. Can you elaborate on the position and what it entails?
You can divide the work of our office into two major (but related) objectives. We review financial interest disclosures from faculty members and research personnel and identify potential conflicts of interest that could impact (or be perceived to impact) the results or outcomes of research. This is the more traditional role of our office, guided by longstanding federal regulations. We also serve as a central review hub for outside professional activities that faculty members and PIs engage in. We work with departments and other stakeholder offices across campus (Office of Sponsored Projects, Discovery to Impact) to address concerns about outside professional activities that may conflict with university responsibilities or concerns about research security. And we provide guidance to faculty members and research personnel in making appropriate disclosures to their funding agencies.
It is interesting work because of the wide variety of outside professional activities that we see, and the ways UT PIs engage in impactful work that involves engagement with outside entities. Overall, we want to assist faculty members and research personnel in a way that encourages transparency and objectivity in the way they do their work and helps promote research integrity.
What are some of the most common conflict of interest pitfalls you come across with researchers at UT Austin?
It’s understandable that some people may be reluctant to disclose personal financial interests, but failure to disclose an outside professional activity or financial interest at the appropriate time can (of course) be problematic. We hope the research community understands that having a conflict of interest is not considered misconduct. We know that engagement with industry is important to get discoveries into real world applications. And we recognize the value and importance of international collaborations. PIs are very busy, but we encourage them to reach out if they have questions about the outside activity approval process or disclosure requirements and to work with us to help protect the integrity of the work that is happening here.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not ensuring TEXAS Research is produced with the highest standards of integrity and independence?
I enjoy playing games and sports, and spending time outdoors. My family (including my husband Dave and two kids) has always played sports together. My kids are grown now, so I often encourage Dave (who was a tennis coach for 30+ years) to get our neighbors out for a cardio tennis session or game of home run derby.
How long have you lived in Austin?
I grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas, and then moved to Boise, Idaho where I completed my undergrad at Boise State University, met my husband, and had a lot of fun playing in the foothills and mountains. We moved to Austin in fall of 1994 when I started graduate school.
What’s your favorite/least favorite thing about the Lone Star State?
The summer heat is my least favorite thing about living in Texas. (Doesn’t that go without saying?) We enjoy escaping to Colorado for a week or two each summer, where my parents have a cabin at ~11,000 feet and we get to pretend to be mountain people living in the wilderness.
The headline of this profile is a play on the song title, Rocket Man, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in 1972.