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Industrial Research OfficeContracts FAQHow can a research collaboration with Penn State help my business? How can a research collaboration with Penn State help my business?With $717 million in research expenditures, Penn State University is ideally suited to be a resource for your research and development needs. Our faculty members and research associates have worked on more than 1,500 projects with over 800 companies in the last fiscal year. Why spend capital on new equipment when state of the art equipment is available to you through research collaborations with faculty members or in any one of a number of user facilities on campus? The IRO is your connection to Penn State expertise. Contact us to learn how you can pull upon the resources of Penn State University to
assist your company. What sets Penn State apart from the others?A benefit of working with a large university like Penn State is that we have many areas of world class research. Our core research areas include:
Responding to the complex demands of today's industry, many of our researchers are active in programs crossing the lines of traditional disciplines. These types of efforts are supported by specific institutes bridging the academic colleges such as
How do I begin a collaboration?The Industrial Research Office is equipped to guide you through establishing and nurturing a sound relationship with Penn State researchers. We can identify appropriate researchers based on your specific needs, arrange introductory meetings, and interface with other administrative offices. When appropriate a Non-Disclosure Agreement can be employed to handle the disclosure and receipt of confidential/proprietary information between University researchers and Company representatives. Importantly we can help you select, very early in the process, the appropriate funding vehicle to achieve your goals within the necessary timeframe. What happens to intellectual property resulting from a research collaboration?Each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the eventual goal of transferring technology to your Company in a timely and reasonable manner. The Industrial Research Office has a resident contract negotiator who will work with your technical and legal staff to arrive at a contract vehicle that is fair and reasonable to both parties. In some instances the University will not attempt to assert any rights on intellectual property resulting from a funded research effort, in others the contribution of both parties warrants the negotiation of contract terms to govern the disposition of intellectual property in a manner that is of benefit to each party. Our key to success in this area is a carefully thought out and presented statement of work. Are sample agreements available for company review?The following is a partial list of templates available for underwriting funded research at Penn State. Each agreement is specific for work effort being performed, whether it is a single project or long-term alliance in which multiple project orders can be issued under an umbrella master-type arrangement.
What if certain parts of the standard agreements are unacceptable to our company?Most of the standard agreements can be tailored to fit specific needs. Our templates should be viewed as a starting point for negotiations. We strive to achieve mutually beneficial arrangements in a responsive manner. |