Sponsored Research
Penn State University is a land-grant institution serving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation. Through various research consortia and individual research agreements, the MRI and its faculty work with hundreds of companies of all sizes, and many that directly benefit the Pennsylvania economy. In addition, Penn State consistently ranks among the top universities in private-sector support of research. Three categories of sponsorship agreements are available, depending on your research needs and goals.
To Initiate a Sponsored Project
Projects usually begin with face-to-face discussion followed by a preliminary technical proposal submitted by the researcher to the potential sponsor. The subsequent formal proposal incorporates the research plan and official contract language including the nature and scope of the work (as an attachment to the agreement), identifies the responsible researcher, and provides the contractual foundation for the relationship. The Office of Sponsored Programs negotiates agreements with appropriate industrial counterparts. Depending on the scope of the research, Penn State offers one of three different research agreements.
- Sponsored Research Agreement
Traditional method of sponsoring research projects that involves University faculty, staff and/or graduate students. A standard contract is available that details intellectual property, confidentiality, financial terms and deliverables. In special cases, Master Agreements may be negotiated with companies that make it easy to add individual research tasks to a single agreement. - Agreement for Research Services
Relatively small research projects (usually less than $10,000) involving analysis, evaluation, classification, diagnostics or interpretation of client's data, samples, mechanisms, procedures or products. Results must be available for publication and used in support of the University's research mission, however proprietary information may be kept confidential. The University will make no claims on patent rights in regard to client-owned materials or information provided for the study. - Grant in Aid
A grant to support ongoing research activities of the University, including specific faculty, but without contractually binding deliverables. In this case, there are no overhead charges, but any intellectual property generated remains property of the University.
Intellectual Property
The University recognizes the importance of transferring that technology to the commercial sector where it can benefit the people we serve. However, as a matter of US law, the University must retain ownership to intellectual property developed by University faculty under a typical sponsored research agreement. The University usually grants sponsors of research the first option in licensing new technologies and is flexible in its negotiation of intellectual property issues, so long as the principal interests of the University and its constituencies are served. Intellectual property issues are managed through the Penn State Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Technology Transfer
The Industrial Research Office (IRO) at Penn State focuses on every aspect of technology transfer: linking industrial sponsors to faculty, licensing, incubators, early stage venture capital, business-formation advice and assistance, small business loans and an Innovation Park for all stages of new business growth.
Publication of Research
It is essential to Penn State's mission as an academic institution to publish the results of research. Penn State is committed to disseminating the results of our research endeavors via refereed journals, dissertations and technical meetings. Discoveries and inventions with commercial potential are protected by the University prior to public disclosure. Thus, when inventions are involved, publications may be delayed to permit patent filings. In order to guard against the inadvertent release of company-proprietary information, sponsors are always offered an opportunity to review papers before publication.
