Check out A-110, part ___.43, Competition, which expressly forbids this type of practice.  "In order to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids and/or requests for proposals shall be excluded from competing for such procurements."  Clearly, you couldn't purchase equipment from them if they helped.
Jane

Jane A. Youngers
Assistant Vice President for Research
Office of Sponsored Programs
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX  78229-3900
210.567.2333
fax 210.567.2344
xxxxxx@uthscsa.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org] On Behalf Of Gina Betcher
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 11:08 AM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] conflict of interest?

Seems unintentionally unethical but it is most definitely. However purchase of a kind of equipment is allowed, priced, in a budget.
Source of sale is not.
-----Original Message-----
From: "Nadler, Elsa" <xxxxxx@UTNET.UTOLEDO.EDU>
To:  <xxxxxx@hrinet.org>

Sent: 3/12/2010 11:54:52 AM
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] conflict of interest?

If you are truly under no obligation, it is probably OK, although somewhat shady. If there is any kind of prior agreement, or even a suggestion of one, I would consider it highly unethical, not just a conflict of interest.

Elsa Nadler
419.383.6967

________________________________

From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org] On Behalf Of Maldve Regina
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 11:41 AM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] conflict of interest?

Oh Wise Ones,

Our college was approached by a for-profit organization in regards to a HRSA program announcement: ARRA-Equipment to enhance training for health professionals-health careers opportunity program.  The company is a provider of video conferencing systems and we have purchased products from them in the past.  This company reached out to our learning resources center staff and offered to provide grant writing assistance if they were interested in submitting a proposal for this application.
Conveniently, they would benefit from this collaboration, given that we could purchase the equipment from them.  My question, is this a conflict of interest for a for-profit entity to solicit grant awards from universities, offer grant writing services (presumably at no cost) provided they are the supplier of equipment.  Obviously, we would be

under no obligation to purchase their product; wink, wink. nudge, nudge.

Thanks for your insight.

Reg

Regina Maldve, Ph.D., CRA
Sr. Grants and Contracts Specialist
Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
(512) 232-7511

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.
~Albert Einstein

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Lists")
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======================================================================
 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================

======================================================================
 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================