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 in detail
- Intellectual property that is created or reduced to practice resulting from the research project is owned by KU. The company is granted a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable right to use the IP for its internal research purposes.
- The Company is granted an exclusive option to negotiate an exclusive or non-exclusive field of use commercial license, on commercially reasonable terms and conditions, for a period of 6 months (option period).
- License fees, royalty rates and other financial terms will be negotiated during the option period.
- The specific field of use, as well as sublicensing terms, will also be negotiated during the option period.
- KU retains royalty-free research rights (teaching, education, research and patient care) to any licensed IP, with the right to grant such rights to other research institutions.
- No upfront technology fee is due as part of the sponsored research agreement for the rights granted in #1 and #2.
- In consultation with the company, KU will take the lead in engaging patent counsel to prepare, file and prosecute any patent applications related to the project’s inventions and related IP. The company will reimburse KU’s costs incurred during the option period.
- On a case-by-case basis, subject to third-party obligations and a grant of rights from KU, KU’s existing IP (background IP) may be used in the project.
- KU can publish or present the results and research findings that result from the project, with the company having a 30-day review period prior to publication or presentation. The company can request, and KU will agree, to an additional 60-day delay to allow for the filing of a patent application. This delay, however, may not interfere with academic progress of graduate students.
- Intellectual property that is created or reduced to practice resulting from the research project is owned by KU.
- In exchange for a one-time technology fee equal to $15,000 or 10% of the total project costs, whichever is greater, KU will grant the company a non-exclusive royalty-free commercial license to any IP that results from the project. This fee is due and payable at the time of entering into the sponsored research agreement and is calculated based on the entire project budget, including standard KU overhead costs at the appropriate F&A rate.
- This non-exclusive license is sublicensable to affiliates only.
- The company is also granted an option to negotiate an exclusive field of use commercial license, on reasonable terms and conditions, for a period of 6 months (option period).
- License fees, royalty rates and other financial terms will be negotiated during the option period.
- The specific field of use, as well as expanded sublicensing terms, will also be negotiated during the option period.
- KU retains royalty-free research rights (teaching, education, research and patient care) to any licensed IP, with the right to grant such rights to other research institutions.
- In consultation with the company, KU will take the lead in engaging patent counsel to prepare, file and prosecute any patent applications related to the project’s inventions and related IP. The company will reimburse a pro rata portion of KU’s costs incurred, based on the number of licenses granted.
- KU’s existing IP (background IP) may not be used in the project.
- KU can publish or present the results and research findings that result from the project, with the company having a 30-day review period prior to publication or presentation. The company can request, and KU will agree, to an additional 60-day delay to allow for the filing of a patent application. This delay, however, shall not interfere with academic progress of graduate students.
- Intellectual property that is created or reduced to practice resulting from the research project is owned by KU.
- In exchange for a one-time technology fee equal to $15,000 or 10% of the total project costs, whichever is greater, KU will grant the company an exclusive field of use (FOU) commercial license to IP resulting from the project.
- This fee is due and payable at the time of entering into the sponsored research agreement and is calculated based on the entire project budget, including standard KU overhead fees at the appropriate F&A rate.
- The specific field of use will be determined at the time of entering into the sponsored research agreement.
- This exclusive license is sublicensable to affiliates only.
- In addition to the technology fee, the company agrees to pay to KU a royalty of one percent (1%) on net sales beginning at such time as the company’s total sales exceed $20 million. If the project IP is an improvement to an existing product or process of the company, then the royalties will be payable until such time as the total royalty paid to KU equals $20 million.
- Company will report on sales and related activities and pay any royalties due to KU on an annual basis.
- The company is also granted an option to negotiate an exclusive commercial license for additional fields of use, on reasonable terms and conditions, for a period of 6 months (option period).
- License fees, royalty rates and other financial terms will be negotiated during the option period.
- The additional fields of use, as well as expanded sublicensing terms, will also be negotiated during the option period.
- KU retains the royalty-free research rights (teaching, education, research and patient care) to any licensed IP, with the right to grant such rights to other research institutions.
- In consultation with the company, KU will take the lead in engaging patent counsel to prepare, file and prosecute any patent applications related to the project’s inventions and related IP. The company will reimburse all costs incurred by KU for preparing, filing, prosecuting and maintaining the IP.
- KU’s existing IP (background IP) may not be used in the project.
- KU can publish or present the results and research findings that result from the project, with the company having a 30-day review period prior to publication or presentation. The company can request, and KU will agree, to an additional 60-day delay to allow for the filing of a patent application. This delay, however, shall not interfere with academic progress of graduate students.
- The KU Center for Technology Commercialization will review the scope of work for the project and will determine the technology assignment fee prior to the initiation of the project. This fee is due and payable at the time of entering into the sponsored research agreement and will consider the entire project budget, including standard KU overhead costs at the appropriate F&A rate.
- In exchange for the technology assignment fee, intellectual property that is created or reduced to practice resulting from the research project will be assigned to the company by KU. A template of the assignment agreement will be included as an exhibit to the sponsored research agreement.
- KU retains royalty-free research rights (teaching, education, research and patient care) to any assigned IP, with the right to grant such rights to other research institutions.
- The company will take the lead in engaging patent counsel to prepare, file and prosecute any patent applications related to the project’s inventions and related IP and will pay all associated costs. The company will keep KU apprised of the status of any patent and patent applications related to the IP, and KU agrees to cooperate in seeking patent rights.
- KU’s existing IP (background IP) may not be used in the project.
- KU can publish or present the results and research findings that result from the project, with the company having a 30-day review period prior to publication or presentation. The company can request, and KU will agree, to an additional 60-day delay to allow for the filing of a patent application. This delay, however, shall not interfere with academic progress of graduate students.
- The scope of the project is limited to the utilization of standard testing and analysis methodologies. No KU background intellectual property can be used in the performance of the project. Right, title and interest in and to the data and test results are granted to the company.
- No new intellectual property is contemplated or expected. If IP is generated pursuant to the performance of the project, the IP would be owned by KU, and the company would have the rights to the IP as described in flexible IP Option 1.
- The data that is deliverable to the company from the project is considered the company’s confidential information.KU’s publication rights are limited to the utilized testing methods, non-proprietary results and other materials.
Flexible IP options at a glance
| Type of agreement | Option 1: Basic research/ traditional model | Option 2a: Pre-paid commercial NERF | Option 2b: Pre-paid field of use license | Options 3: Pre-paid assignment | 4 Testing & analysis services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP ownership | Owned by KU. | Assigned to company by KU. | Data and test results belong to company; no other IP is contemplated (if so, would be owned by KU). | ||
| Upfront fees | No technology fee. | Technology fee equal to $15K or 10% of total project costs (whichever is greater). | KUCTC will review scope of work and determine technology assignment fee. | None. | |
| Patent prosecution | Controlled by KU; paid by company during option period. | Controlled by KU; paid by company on pro rata basis. | Controlled by KU; paid by company. | Controlled and paid by company. | None. |
| Background IP | May be possible. | No KU BIP can be used. | No KU BIP can be used; work uses only standard lab testing methods. | ||
| License rights | Research non-exclusive, royalty-free license; not sub-licensable. | Commercial non-exclusive, royalty-free license. | Commercial exclusive field of use license. | NA | NA |
| Option rights | 6-month option to negotiate exclusive or non-exclusive field of use license. | 6-month option to negotiate exclusive FOU license. | 6-month option to negotiate additional FOUs or exclusive rights. | NA | NA |
| Royalties | Negotiated during option period. | 1% on net sale over $20M; no cap unless IP improves upon company's existing products or processes, then cap is $20M. | NA | NA | |
| Sublicense rights | Negotiated during option period. | Affiliates only. | NA | NA | |
| KU-retained rights | KU retains royalty-free research rights (teaching, education, research and patient care) and right to grant such rights to other research institutions. | ||||
| Publication | 30-day review; additional 60-day delay for filing patent application. Shall not interfere with academic progress of graduate students. | Deliverable data is company confidential; KU can publish on testing methods, non-proprietary results and all other material. | |||
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Connect with us to discuss opportunities to partner with KU researchers.