Sponsored Research
Why is a contract needed for cooperation and sponsoring in research?
A contract lays down the rights and duties of the different parties. This is very important when you are collaborating with/being sponsored by industry partners as they generally have a different approach to the subject than the university party. If the project sponsor is a foundation, then there often is no formal agreement. Instead the foundation sends a notice of subsidy, which serves as a legal basis.
What needs special attention?
For a sponsored research project the main focus usually is on the elaboration of new scientific knowledge. Freedom of research and publication must not be impaired. Publications may be delayed for a short time if patenting of interesting results is required. However, rights of an industry partner to veto publication is not to be accepted. Intellectual property originating from the collaboration belongs to the university if the inventor is a university employee. The industry partner generally receives an option to a royalty-bearing license to commercially exploit the results.
Apart from this no commitments must be made (such as warranty, liability) that the university cannot fulfill.
Support provided by Unitectra?
Unitectra will draw up a collaborative research agreement for you as well as examine any contract that you received from an industry partner. In addition, we support you during negotiations with industry partners, and ensure that your rights are optimally protected.