UVic Industry Partnerships assists organizations seeking to collaborate with University of Victoria researchers.
Types of Collaboration: The three categories under which research contracts generally fall are:
- Public Sector Grants- funds awarded by a public granting body (e.g. NSERC, SSHERC, CIHR) where the research proposal is initiated by the researcher; the researcher is free to use the funds how he/she thinks best in accordance with University guidelines; the researcher is free to publish results; there is no hold-back of funds contingent upon deliverables; all IP remains the property of the researching body in accordance with the University’s IP policies; and there are no overhead rates charged.
- Public Sector Contracts- research proposal may be initiated by a public agency (e.g. Provincial/ Federal Government contracts, Crown Agencies) where the funding body may have stipulations on how research funds may be spent; funds may be withheld pending certain deliverables; there are IP issues usually related to the right to publish; and there are overhead rates factored into the contract.
- Private Sector Contracts- research proposal is initiated by the sponsor party; the use of funds is directed, at least in part, by the sponsor; there are set milestones and deliverables; there are restrictions on publication notwithstanding certain publication policies of the University; IP is generated in the form of technologies or inventions and are the property of the funding sponsor; and there are overhead rates built into total project costs.
Another type of contract, Public and Private Sector Collaborative Research Agreements, essentially set the terms and conditions for long-term research relationships, and the IP issues and overhead rates for individual contracts undertaken within these wider relationships vary between contracts.