For Faculty: Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
Define your research strengths and unique value proposition that may be of interest to potential industry partners. Attending one of our Competitive Intelligence workshops will help you to understand how to quickly and efficiently begin to identify potential partners. Start with a quick conversation with the Industry Research Partnerships (IRP) team about your research strengths, what kind of industry partners you think would be a good fit, and what “success” looks like (sponsored project, materials/data access, student projects, licensing, etc).
Industry meetings are valuable, but they’re different from academic collaborations: goals, timelines, confidentiality, and IP expectations often come up fast. Industry culture is also vastly different from that of academia, and it’s critical to listen to the company’s challenges and understand their needs and pain points before “pitching” your research.
Before the meeting, clarify:
- The purpose of the discussion
- What you can share publicly
- What you need from them (data/materials/funding)
- What you want to avoid committing to verbally
A common next step is an NDA/CDA if confidential info will be exchanged.
Connect with the IRP team to understand if any agreements or developing partnership conversations might already be in place with the company.
Think of it as a coordinated team:
- Industry Research Partnerships (IRP) helps you to navigate and grow industry-sponsored research
- helps you to build broader industry engagement across many levels including philanthropic and foundations
- The negotiates and signs research-related agreements on behalf of Boulder
- supports invention disclosure, IP protection, licensing, and startup pathways
- The Project Management Office serves as the strategic bridge between research teams and sponsored projects, aligning efforts with institutional goals
“What can I sign?” and confidentiality
No. Individual faculty/staff generally do not have authority to sign agreements that bind Boulder unless they have a formal written delegation of signature authority. Signing without authority can put publication/IP rights at risk and may expose you personally. Learn more about Signature Authority.
Use an NDA/CDA when confidential/proprietary information will be exchanged while exploring a potential collaboration. Boulder NDAs can be one-way or two-way. OCG Contract Officers are the authorized representatives for negotiating and executing NDAs; requests can be initiated through OCG’s Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) request process. Learn more about NDAs.
It depends on complexity and the other party’s template. NDA negotiation can take a number of weeks depending on review and negotiation, so it’s smart to start early. Boulder offers a partially executed NDA that you can send to a prospective company partner to fast-path the process.
Choosing the right collaboration pathway
The most common pathways include:
- Sponsored research (company funds research in your lab or department; may be collaborative)
- Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) (sharing physical research materials)
- Data Transfer and Use Agreements (DTUA/DUA) (sending/receiving datasets with defined handling terms)
- Service / fee-for-service agreements (testing, measurement, use of specialized equipment—often deliverable-based)
- Licensing / commercialization of technologies via Venture Partners at Boulder team.
A sponsored research agreement is a contract where a company provides funding for a defined research project for a defined period—often with expectations around reports, deliverables and (sometimes) rights to negotiate for IP that may result. Learn more about sponsored research at Boulder.
A common rule of thumb across universities: if the company is funding a specific scope of work and expects deliverables and/or IP-related rights, it’s typically sponsored research; if funding is provided without rights in return, it may be treated as a gift (with the right campus office involved). Learn more about award management of gifts.
Publication, openness and restricted research
Boulder’s default posture is openness: the campus generally does not accept publication restrictions on sponsored projects absent compelling reasons. If an agreement imposes restrictions on publication or participation, it may be considered restricted research and requires additional review/approvals. Our teams will help you navigate publication considerations with a prospective company partner to ensure alignment, as some companies may require publication restrictions to protect their intellectual property. Learn more about publication restrictions.
Agreements, who signs and what OCG needs
At Boulder, the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) holds delegated contracting authority for research sponsored contracts—only your OCG Contract Officer can sign. Even if there are no funds, if it governs research performance, it still must be reviewed and signed by OCG. Learn more about Sponsored Research Contracting.
All new proposals require a Proposal Submission Request (PSR) form.
OCG flags typical delay drivers as: conflict of interest, IRB/IAC, export controls, IP issues, indemnification and other terms and conditions negotiation. Translation: looping in the right offices early prevents the “why is this stuck?” spiral. Learn more about Sponsored Research Contracting.
Aligning with your industry partner—in advance—on a non-binding term sheet outlining each party’s initial positions on items like confidentiality, intellectual property, publication, and governing law can greatly increase negotiation cycles and identify any ‘show stoppers’ in advance of the negotiation.
Master agreements, repeat partners and speed
A Master Research Agreement is used when a sponsor expects to collaborate on multiple projects with Boulder. The master sets the overarching terms; then each new project runs under a Task Order (also may be referred to as Statements of Work or SOW’s) that contains project-specific items (approach, budget, PI/staffing, milestones/deliverables, and background IP). This can significantly speed subsequent projects. Learn more about Master Agreements.
Materials, data and “can they just send it?”
If materials or datasets are involved, you typically need the right agreement in place:
- MTA for tangible materials (inbound/outbound)
- DTUA/DUA for datasets (defines access, storage, disposal and rights)
These protect you and Boulder—and prevent accidental restrictions on how you can use or publish what you receive.
Students, deliverables and expectations
Often yes—and it can be a big benefit (training + talent pipelines). The watch-outs are publication restrictions, export controls, and any terms that could delay graduation or limit participation. Boulder’s restricted research process explicitly requires mitigation planning to protect students and trainees when restrictions are proposed. Learn more about publication restrictions.