How to ethically approach publishing research with conflict of interest?
Unless I'm missing something, I don't really see the conflict. Write the paper when the time comes and submit it. If an editor or reviewer thinks you have a biased viewpoint that incorrectly impacts on what you have to say, they will probably catch it and reject the paper. But, I think a biased outcome is different from a conflict of interest.
And your comment suggests that if you don't develop the methodology you won't be in the running for the prize in any case.
For full disclosure you can include a statement in the paper (or to the editor) that &quot;This paper was (awarded top prize)/(a finalist)/(submitted)/(soundly rejected)/(disparaged from the podium) at the 87th annual underwater basket weaving festival of doing Y to achieve X securely&quot;. Whatever best describes the history of the work.