Does Dr, Bill have either a perceived or real conflict of interest in participating in this project?
At what point in this scenario did that happen?

https://ori.hhs.gov/case-one-age-old-conflicts

Under NIH Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) guidelines, must he report any or all of his travel reimbursements, stocks or direct payments from the company? Does the company have
to report their compensation to Dr. Bill?

When should IP/patent rights be discussed and determined in a collaborative project? By what mechanism does that occur at academic institutions?

Are faculty sometimes allowed to serve as outside consultants? If the school has a policy on faculty consultation activities, might that affect their rights in this situation?

Is collaboration between academia and industry a good thing? What are the pros and cons?

Should this research be subjected to peer review through publication, or is the push to help humanity better served by allowing the company to continue along these research lines without the added competition that publication would certainly bring?

Does the NIH have any IP/patent rights in this scenario? In any scenario?