Research Contracts & Agreements
One way of accessing external expertise, financing and resources is to collaborate with companies or other external partners. With such collaborations, funders and collaborators usually require a contract for a research project, which defines respective rights, obligations, timelines and budget.
The contract process in 4 steps:
STEP 1. Getting started / Preparation
• Identify a collaborative partner / funding body
• Assess opportunities and risks
• Understand what type of agreement is important in your case
STEP 2. Content - what should be included?
• Identify all financial and regulatory issues to make the review process efficient
• Then the Legal unit can review your research agreement draft
STEP 3. Make an agreement
• Get an agreement template recommended at KI
• Draft, negotiate and finalise an agreement
• The agreement's final version should be reviewed by the Legal unit
STEP 4. Signature- who should sign the agreement?
• The agreement requires signatures from all parties & other stakeholders
• The research project can start only when the agreement is signed
Additional resources
Film: Research contract process in 4 steps
Research contract: purpose, content & different types
Learn why do you need a research contract and what is usually included in such a contract.
