Sponsor KU research
KU faculty have the expertise and resources to work with industry partners to assist in providing solutions for technical challenges.
Industry-sponsored research projects involve students in the development of new technology, which — in addition to solving your problems — provides a pipeline of highly skilled talent to support future needs. On an annual basis, KU partners with more than 70 different industry partners that range from small startups to Fortune 500 companies. It is important to KU to develop a productive relationship with our industry partners to ensure we meet your needs and interests while also advancing science and technology and developing student expertise.
KU has developed business-oriented research agreement templates that are available for use and that may assist in accelerating the contracting process. In addition, KU has developed flexible IP options that are geared to support your needs.
General steps in the process
- Experts at KU is a great starting point to find the expertise you are seeking.
- Establish an initial dialogue with the faculty member to ensure fit with your needs.
- Confidentiality is important to you and KU. We encourage execution of a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA/NDA) for your protection and ours.
- KU can start these discussions with your document, or we can leverage one of the university’s standard agreement templates.
- In-depth discussions with the faculty member to facilitate development of a statement of work that describes the problem statement, tasks, deliverables, timetable and budget requirements.
- Visiting faculty member’s laboratories is often a way to accelerate this process and learn more about capabilities and opportunities.
- KU strives to be business-friendly and flexible during contract negotiations. We have a number of contracting agreements prepared that can serve as a starting point for discussions.
- KU has established flexible intellectual property options to address your needs.
- KU will work with you to execute a document that is a win-win for both parties.
Accelerating solutions
KU has formed industry-driven research consortia that bring together companies with similar technical challenges and provide an opportunity to accelerate the development of pre-competitive solutions. Examples: Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis + Kansas Interdisciplinary Carbonates Consortium
Flexible IP options
KU offers a continuum of contracting mechanisms that enable industry partners to work with researchers at all stages of research and development. These options also streamline the sponsored research contracting process by providing straightforward intellectual property terms for companies engaging in collaborative research.
Flexible IP options
- Company automatically receives a non-exclusive right to use KU’s resulting IP for its internal research purposes.
- Company automatically receives an exclusive option to negotiate an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing commercial license to resulting IP. In the event of licensing to company, KU retains a right to use resulting IP for its internal, noncommercial research and education purposes, and to license KU-owned IP to other academic or nonprofit institutions for further noncommercial research.
- No upfront IP license fee at time of sponsored research agreement.
- Management of patent prosecution and responsibility for patent prosecution costs is negotiable.
- KU can publish or present research findings after a reasonable period for company review for inadvertent disclosure of company confidential information or to seek patent protection.
- KU pre-existing IP (background IP) may be offered through a separate license agreement.
- Company pays a license fee equivalent to $15,000 or 10% of the sponsored research agreement (whichever is greater) for a 5-year exclusive, worldwide commercial license to all resulting IP (patentable or not).
- The fee is calculated based on the entire project budget, including standard KU overhead fees, which must be paid at the appropriate F&A rate.
- Upon expiration of the license, company has a 3-month exclusive option to negotiate a new license.
- Company fully manages and directs all IP protection and directly pays for all patent prosecution costs. KU will cooperate with the company on patent filing and prosecution.
- Typically, company pays 1% royalties on net sales when cumulative gross sales using IP exceed $20 million. Alternative approaches for product-embedded or process IP are available.
- No cap on royalties unless the IP improves upon the company’s existing products or processes, in which case the cap is $10 million.
- No annual minimums or other fees.
- KU retains a right to use resulting IP for its internal, noncommercial research and education purposes, and to license KU-owned IP to other academic or nonprofit institutions for further noncommercial research.
- KU can publish or present research findings after company review for confidential information or patent protection.
- Company owns the resulting project IP exclusive of any KU background IP. KU background IP may not be used in research.
- Company fully manages all IP protection and directly pays for all patent filing and prosecution costs. KU provides reasonable cooperation on patent claims; additional charges may be incurred if effort exceeds reasonable level.
- Company pays an upfront, one-time fee for rights to the IP. Fee amount is determined in consultation with KU Center for Technology Commercialization during statement of work discussions.
- PI/KU cannot use the developed project IP either in future research, public disclosure and publication or in the classroom (except with approval from sponsor).
- KU can publish or present research findings after company review for confidential information or patent protection.
- KU utilizes established testing and analysis methodologies; no project IP is anticipated. If there is resulting project IP, then Option 1 applies.
- Sponsor owns project-generated data resulting from the testing and analysis work as defined by the scope of work. Deliverable data is confidential to sponsor; other material may be publishable.
- KU can publish or present non-deliverable data or KU background IP after company review for confidential information or patent protection.
Flexible IP options at a glance
| Type of agreement | 1 Traditional IP approach | 2 Expedited IP approach | 3 Work for hire | 4 Testing & analysis approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New IP contemplated? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| IP ownership? | Ownership follows inventorship. | Ownership follows inventorship. | Company | There is no project IP; company owns project-generated data. Unexpected IP handled using Traditional IP approach (#1). |
| Involvement of pre-existing, background IP (BIP) contemplated? | Maybe, but not necessarily. | Maybe, but not necessarily. | Company’s only; no KU BIP included. Precautions must be taken not to block KU BIP, or opt for #1 or #2. | May be company BIP, but it isn’t exploited to generate new project IP. No KU BIP other than lab’s standard methods. |
| IP licensing | Company receives a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-commercial license with option for a royalty-bearing exclusive commercial license. | In exchange for upfront IP fee of $15K or 10% (whichever is greater) of sponsored research agreement funding, company receives exclusive commercial license for 5 years. Royalties apply if sales exceed $20M. Company pays all patent costs. | None; company owns IP outright in exchange for upfront IP fee. | Not applicable. |
| Publication with review rights? | Yes, the company would have a 30-day review (only for confidential information). | Confidential project-generated data is publishable subject to company’s approval; all other non-confidential material is publishable. | Confidential data generated is publishable subject to company’s approval; all other non-confidential material is publishable. | Confidential project-generated data is publishable subject to company’s approval; all other non-confidential material is publishable. |
Ready to get started?
Connect with us to discuss opportunities to partner with KU researchers.