Report of External Professional Activities (REPA) Help

Transparency is key to successfully addressing any conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment that may arise out of relationships between University employees and business entities. The Report of External Professional Activities (REPA) is the electronic reporting form that captures key details regarding these relationships from University faculty and staff. This information is then used by the Conflict of Interest Program to evaluate whether the intersection of the relationship with a business entity and the individual's University responsibilities and expertise represents a conflict of interest.

University faculty and staff who are required to file a REPA must do so at least annually. The annual REPA filing period occurs in February of each calendar year when the covered individual has access to tax forms and other tax related information that may assist them in their filing.

File a REPA

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who must file a REPA?

Individuals that must file a REPA include faculty and staff, individuals with responsibility for the design, conduct, or reporting of University research; and other individuals authorized to act on behalf of the University to fulfill its research and discovery, teaching and learning, and outreach and public service mission.

When submitting a proposal for a sponsored project or an application to the IRB, Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, and all key personnel must have a current REPA, submitted within the last 12 months, on file with the University. If the last REPA was filed over 12 months ago or if the most recently filed REPA does not reflect the appointee's current financial and business interests, a new form must be submitted.

When do I file a REPA?

Individuals required to file a REPA must do so annually each February. In addition to the annual reporting, individuals must also complete a "Change in Circumstances" REPA within 30 days of

  • acquiring a new significant financial interest and business interest that relates to their University responsibilities and expertise, or
  • assuming a new University responsibility that relates to an existing business or significant financial interest (such as a new research project).

Who are my departmental and collegiate approvers?

Most REPAs have two approvers – a departmental level approver and a collegiate level approver. You must input a departmental approver when filling out a REPA. Your departmental approver is the person who is responsible for reviewing all of the REPAs filed in your department or unit. Typically, your departmental approver is your Department or Unit Head/Chair/Director.

Collegiate approvers are set on the collegiate level and will automatically populate on the form. Departmental approvers and collegiate approvers cannot be the same person. If you are a department head or report directly to the collegiate approver, you must be "special mapped" directly to your collegiate approver. You may contact the COI Program at repamail@umn.edu to set up the special mapping.

How do I enter my departmental approver?

You must enter your departmental approver’s internet ID in the white box above the "Confirm Approver" button. To enter your departmental approver’s ID:

  • If your appropriate departmental approver appears as a selection, click the red hyperlink for the departmental approver’s internet ID to populate the white box. You will then be able to proceed through the REPA.
  • If no appropriate departmental approver shows up, you can either enter your departmental approver's internet ID manually (if known) or search for the internet ID using the "Search Internet ID" function. Once you find the departmental approver’s internet ID, type it in the white box and then click "Confirm Approver." Your departmental approver's information should then appear below and you will be able to proceed through the REPA.

How do I get set up as a departmental approver?

If you are a new department head or otherwise need the ability to approve REPAs, you may contact the COI Program at repamail@umn.edu to get set up with approval status. Note that if you already have PRF approval authority, you will also have REPA approval authority.

How do I review and approve REPAs?

Instructions for unit contacts and approvers can be found in the Conflict of Interest Handout (docx).

REPA Troubleshooting

Having technical issues with the REPA? Visit the Administrative Policy: Conflict of Interest's REPA FAQs. If your FAQ is not listed, please contact the COI Program at repamail@umn.edu.

How do I access prior REPAs?

You can access and print a REPA as soon as the form is submitted. Note that printing a REPA requires Adobe Acrobat Reader software. To view a submitted REPA:

  1. Go to egms.umn.edu and click on "EGMS Forms" near the bottom right corner.
  2. If prompted, log in with your Internet ID and password.
  3. Click on "Status of Requests" on the Main Menu.
  4. A list of your previously submitted EGMS Requests will appear. Select the hyperlink for the form you wish to view.
  5. If you want to print the REPA, scroll down three-fourths of the way down the page and click the "View/Print Acrobat PDF" button.

How do I access returned REPAs?

If any approver returned your REPA to you to make changes, you should have received an automated e-mail with a link to the returned REPA. If you did not receive an e-mail, to access the form manually:

  1. Follow the instructions above on accessing prior REPAs.
  2. After you access the returned REPA, click on the "History" button in the top left corner of the page. That button will take you to the comments your approver left when he or she returned the REPA to you.
  3. If your approver left comments for you, make the changes your approver requested and scroll down to click "Re-Submit Request."
  4. If your approver did not leave comments for you, contact that approver directly to find out why the REPA was returned to you.