Industry Agreement Decision Tree
I want to work with Industry ... where do I start?
Typically, when working with Industry, we send a copy of our standard agreement with the proposal. Answering the following series of questions will guide you to which template is most appropriate for your project. If after using this tool you are still unsure which template to use, please contact the OSP negotiator assigned to your department. Penn State's practice on IP, which is reflected in the Sponsored Research Agreement, can be found here.
Select the appropriate answer to each question:
Where is the funding for this project coming from?
A) The company is paying for the project from company funds.
Industry Templates
Which of the following best describes your project?
- A project involving basic and/or applied research, which may result in inventions, software, prototypes, copyrightable works, or other intellectual property? Use the SRA.
- A pre-existing research service (e.g., chemical characterization of sponsor-provided materials) or a small, short duration project which is typically a fixed-price agreement with up front payment for an existing technology or testing technique. Use the Academic Research Services Order.
B) The company is using funds received from a federal source (i.e., federal flow-through).
Federal flow-through funds
- If the industry is using federal funds to support this project, you cannot use any of Penn State's industrial templates since the agreement will need to reflect the terms and conditions of the prime funding source. Please contact your negotiator for assistance with this agreement.