A Collaborative Research Agreement is a document that outlines the terms and conditions that govern a research relationship between parties involved in a collaborative research programme.
These legal documents include terms relating to governance structures, budgets and financial management, dispute resolution, project management, ownership of intellectual property, publication rights and other obligations. The agreements are tailored by the RCSI research office to the specific circumstances of the collaborative relationship.
Any research collaborations within academia which may potentially result in the generation of commercially important intellectual property should be recorded in a formal “Collaborative Research Agreement”. The RCSI’s research office can provide such an agreement and the TTO can advise on the aspects of:
- Ownership of IP
- Commercialisation of IP
- Access rights to the IP
- Publication strategy
- It is important that agreements are concluded before the project commences.
- Approval Procedure for Research Agreements
Prior to the signing of agreements with industry or academic institutions which relate to research being carried out in RCSI and/or where RCSI is the named host Institution, it is of the utmost importance to seek approval from the Research Office.
For RCSI-led collaborative research programmes where the agreement originates from RCSI, please contact Paola della Porta (pdellaporta@rcsi.ie) and she will provide a standard template that best suits the nature of your collaboration.
As part of the review process, Paola della Porta will liaise with Gearoid Tuohy (Technology Transfer Office), Barry McGowan (Finance Dept.) and, if possible, Sandra O’Malley (Legal Affairs) for approval.
Collaborative Research Agreements are legally binding and therefore must be signed by the authorised signatory of the Partner Institutions. The following authorised signatories apply:
For research agreements: John Kelly and Paola della Porta
For technology transfer or commercialisation agreements for industry sponsored research: Gearoid Tuohy, John Kelly and Terry McWade.
NB: To ensure that you are protected from personal liability, we strongly recommend that you refrain from signing direct agreements with commercial partners where you are named as the PI, with RCSI not being a party to such agreements.
I hope you appreciate that the oversight and support in place in the preparation and review of research agreements is not intended to be obstructive but rather necessary to prevent a waste of resources and protect the interest of both the Investigators and the College.