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Outside Activity Category Types

This article explains the three activity category types in UC OATS. If prior approval is required, UC OATS will generate the necessary forms for you.

Activity Category Types

Professional activities are grouped into three categories under University policy (APM-025-10, APM-671-10).

  • Categories I and II activities must be reported in UC OATS. In addition, Category I activities require prior approval before a faculty member with an appointment of 50% effort or greater engages in the activity.
  • Category III activities are considered to be within the course and scope of University employment and generally do not require reporting or approval, unless students are involved in the activity. However, Deans (APM-240) and Faculty Administrators at 100% appointment (APM-246) are required to report both compensated and uncompensated Category III activities.

If an activity falls into more than one category, it should be assigned to the category that requires the most stringent reporting and prior approval, as applicable.

▶ Category types and description
  Category Type   Description
  Category I Category I activities are outside professional activities that are most likely to create a conflict of commitment because they:
  • Involve activities related to the faculty member’s training and expertise—the same qualifications used for their University appointment—when performed for a third party, and/or
  • Require a significant professional commitment.

Category I activities:

  • Require prior approval before participation.
  • Count toward the faculty member’s applicable time and earnings thresholds.

  Category II

Category II activities are typically shorter-term outside professional activities that fall outside the course and scope of University employment. These activities generally have a lower potential for conflict of commitment than Category I activities.

Category II activities:

  • Do not require prior approval unless a student is involved in the activity.
    • If a student is involved, faculty must submit a Student Involvement prior approval form.
  • Count toward the faculty member’s applicable time and earnings thresholds, as required by policy.

  Category III             

Category III activities are considered to be within the course and scope of University employment and are therefore unlikely to raise conflict of commitment concerns.

Category III activities:

  • Do not require prior approval unless a student is involved in the activity.
    • If a student is involved, faculty must submit a Student Involvement prior approval form.
  • Must be reported by Deans and Faculty Administrators with a 100% appointment, regardless of whether the activity is compensated or uncompensated.
  • Do not need to be reported by all other faculty.

Activity Types & Help Text

The following section describes each activity type and the associated help text.

▶ Activity type and help text
Activity Type Help Text Category Faculty Policy

Administration of a grant outside the University

Refers to administration of a grant through an institution other than UC. Managing a grant under the auspices of a non-UC institution where that institution may have claims to the resulting intellectual property or attribution. For example, grants submitted on behalf of a professional society are exempt from this restriction; they are not considered a Category I activity. A faculty member who has a grant that was applied for at UCLA, but conducting library research (for the project the grant is funding) at Yale is also exempt.

 1 025
671

Assuming an executive or managerial position outside of the University

 Examples: CFO, CAO, COO, President, a leadership role. Not board membership or an advising role. Must be reported whether compensated or not compensated. 1 025
671

Assuming founding or co-founding role of a company

 Refers to your activity as a founder or co-founder that requires significant professional commitment during the current reporting period. Not necessarily the quantity of involvement, but the quality of involvement. For example, a faculty member may be involved in a two-hour meeting where critical issues are discussed and decisions are made. 1 025
671

Employment outside the University

 Refers to establishing a relationship as a salaried employee outside of UC, i.e., individual receives an IRS W2 form for the purpose of tax reporting. 1 025
671

Honorary, visiting, adjunct, or other institutional appointment (either compensated or uncompensated) at an institution 

Current or pending acceptance of an honorary, visiting, adjunct, or other institutional appointment (either compensated or uncompensated) at an outside institution of higher education, research institute, or medical center affiliated with an outside institution of higher education, non-U.S. government, or other entity. View: APM–025-10-a-(1)-(f)

 1 025
671

Research outside the University

 Refers to participation in research under the auspices (i.e. control/management/direction) of another institution as judged by such considerations as to whether the research occurs while in-residence at the other institution and the non-UC institution has claims on the resulting intellectual property or attribution. 1 025
671

Talent recruitment programs sponsored by a government agency of a nation other than the United States 

Current or pending participation in, or application to, talent recruitment programs (specifically designed to recruit science and technology professionals or students) sponsored by a government agency of a nation other than the United States ("non-U.S. government").

View: APM–025-10-a-(1)-(f)

A talent recruitment program is an initiative aimed at recruiting experts in U.S. academia and other sectors to cultivate a non-U.S. nation's domestic talent pool in support of that nation’s strategic civil and military goals. The arrangement will ordinarily include a non-U.S. university and a UC faculty member but will ordinarily not include UC.

Talent program participation may include any or all of the following requirements as to the faculty member:

Performance of non-U.S. national major or key projects.
Publication of a number of high level articles in important international academic journals in the name of the non-U.S. institution.
Declaration of a number of national or international invention patents.
Introduction and cultivation of non-U.S. nation’s domestic scholars or graduation students including assistance in publications, inclusion in exchanges and sponsorship or recruitment of such scholars or students to work or study at UC.
Inclusion of name of faculty member and primary affiliation with the non-U.S. institution in any publications, award applications, patent applications and research project applications.
The talent program may require a time commitment of the faculty member, typically from one month up to nine months. The talent program may include significant monetary or in-kind research support (e.g., equipment, staff, laboratory, space) whether or not the funds flow to the faculty member or to the non-U.S. institution.

 1 025
671

Teaching outside the University

 Teaching at an educational institution, trust, organization, government agency, foundation, or other entity outside of the University 1 025
671

Consulting or testifying as an expert or professional witness

 Consulting or testifying as an expert or professional witness. Outside consulting is one type of outside professional activity. It is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty member's field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM-671-4-d or APM-025-4-d. 2 025
671

Consulting for a domestic or foreign government agency

 Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty member's field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM-025-4-d. 2 025
671
Consulting for for-profit entity Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty members field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM - 671-4-d. 2 671
Consulting for non-profit entity Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty members field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM - 671-4-d. 2 671
Consulting for non-profit health or education-related organization Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty members field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM - 671-4-d. 2 671
Consulting under the auspices of UC Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty member's field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM - 671-4-d. 2 671

Providing outside consulting or compensated professional activities performed for Los Alamos National Security and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories

 Because of the nature of their relationship to the University, consulting specifically for the Board of Governors Science and Technology Committee of Los Alamos National Security, LLC and Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC does not require disclosure in annual reporting or prior approval and does not count toward the faculty member's maximum 39/48 days of outside professional activities. 2 025
671
Additional University-compensated teaching (CME & UNEX) or self-supporting UC degree programs Refers to additional University-compensated teaching, including teaching for UNEX (University Extension) courses and programs (see APM-662, Additional Compensation: Additional Teaching), Executive Education programs, other continuing education programs run by the University, and self-supporting UC degree programs. These are teaching activities outside of the assigned teaching load. If the department assigns the teaching activity, it is not considered an outside activity. For example, campus sponsored executive education. 2 671
Other income generating activities specified in approved Implementing Procedures None 2 025
671

Providing outside consulting services or referrals or engaging in professional practice as an individual or through a single-member professional corporation or sole proprietorship

 Outside consulting is defined as professional advice or services related to the faculty member's field or discipline, whether compensated or uncompensated, that furthers the interests of an entity outside of the University of California. See APM -025-4-d 2 025

Additional University - compensated teaching (CME & UNEX) or self-supporting UC degree programs. (For purposes of this section, Summer Session teaching is excluded; see APM 661, Additional Compensation: Summer Session Teaching.)

 Refers to additional University-compensated teaching, including teaching for UNEX (University Extension) courses and programs (see APM-662, Additional Compensation: Additional Teaching), Executive Education programs, other continuing education programs run by the University, and self-supporting UC degree programs. These are teaching activities outside of the assigned teaching load. If the department assigns the teaching activity, it is not considered an outside activity. For example, campus sponsored executive education.  2 025

Providing or presenting a workshop for industry

 None 2 025
671

Serving on board of directors outside the University

 None 2 025
671

Accepting honoraria for scholarly, intellectual, educational, outreach work within the course and scope of employment.

 Honoraria are defined as payments by agencies outside the University for occasional lectures, and similar public appearances and which are not in return for other services, whether give directly or indirectly. If you are unsure, please contact appropriate office on your campus for consultation. 3 025

Attending and presenting talks at university/academic colloquia and conferences

 None 3 025
671

Developing scholarly or creative works

 None 3 025

Receiving prizes, defined as gifts in recognition of personal achievements and not for services rendered

 None 3 025

Reviewing manuscripts, acting in an editorial capacity

 None 3 025
671

Serving on government or professional panels or committees or as an officer or board member of a professional or scholarly society

 None 3 025
671

Last Modified:2026-01-08 10:37:54.52281-08

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