Industry Sponsored Research Agreements

Mutually-Beneficial Engagement

Companies that sponsor research at MIT are typically looking for ways to engage with researchers that create value for their businesses.  In collaboration with PIs, they develop projects that aim to generate innovative technologies and results that these sponsors use in their businesses or to inform their own research and development activities. 

1. Confidentiality & Data Protection

   Many corporate sponsors share proprietary or confidential information, data and materials, and the MIT research team has a responsibility to use or maintain that information in accordance with the terms of the research agreement, including keeping it confidential for up to five years following receipt. 
    

2. Customized Industry Research Agreements

   OSATT Core helps to structure and negotiate terms of industry sponsored research agreements so that the sponsor’s interests and expectations align with those of the PI and MIT’s open research policies and other interests. ISRAs usually include an option for industry sponsors to negotiate a commercial license to intellectual property (IP) that is created in the performance of the research project. 
    

3. Value-Driven Collaborations

   Granting industry sponsors rights in certain research outcomes while maintaining MIT researchers’ right to publish – which might also require navigating confidentiality obligations – can be a complex discussion. OSATT Core Catalysts work with researchers and sponsors to help facilitate and steer these conversations into a mutually-beneficial engagements.