Standard Agreements

Sponsored Research Agreements (SRAs) are used when an outside entity funds research at UC Berkeley. IAO handles SRAs funded by for-profit companies. Sponsored research agreements (SRAs) are used when a company is going to fund a research project at a lab at the University. The SRA spells out various items such as the scope of work of the project, the budget and various legal terms and conditions. For more information on sponsored research agreements please visit Industry Sponsored Research. All SRA budgets include UC Berkeley’s federally-negotiated indirect cost rate as part of the budget.

Confidentiality or Nondisclosure Agreements (CDA/NDA) allow researchers to exchange confidential or proprietary information prior to establishing a research collaboration or project. CDAs and NDAs are contracts that limit the use and disclosure of confidential information. At times, a UC Berkeley researcher and a company may want to share or receive information that they consider confidential. These disclosures can occur in the course of discussing potential research collaborations. Learn more.

The Industry Alliances Office negotiates, reviews, and signs proposals for UC Berkeley to participate as a subcontractor on a company's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant. Learn how to collaborate on an SBIR or STTR grant

Research Data Use Agreements (DUAs) are contracts that govern the transfer of data between two organizations. Similar to a Data Use Agreement, a Data Access Agreement (DAA) is an agreement used to gain access to another party's secure data site to use the data there; no data transfer takes place. Learn more about setting up an agreement for sending or receiving data.

Inter-institutional agreements (IIAs) or IP Management Agreement are used in instances where an invention is jointly made by a University employee and someone from outside the University. It spells out which party will take the lead on patenting and licensing the resultant intellectual property as well as various other terms.

An IAP is a University research program – organized, hosted, and directed by Berkeley faculty and/or staff – focused on a specific area of research of common interest with private industry, and funded by industry membership fees. Participating companies sign an IAP membership agreement. Learn more.

An Industry Sponsored Institute (ISI or Institute) is established, organized, hosted, and directed by Berkeley faculty and/or staff and funded by private industry. An Institute is created through an ISI Master Agreement between UC Berkeley and an industry sponsor with appendices which may include: master sponsored research agreement and a form of task order, intellectual property license terms, lease agreement, and other appendices as relevant. Learn more about Industry Sponsored Institutes.

Visiting scientist agreements (VSAs) are signed by people from outside institutions or companies who will be doing work at UC Berkeley. They are put in place before the visiting scientists starts at the university and spell out items like the scope of the project, ownership of any resultant IP, how long the scientist will be at the university, etc. Learn more about setting up an agreement for a visiting scientist, industrial fellow, or entrepreneurial fellow

Agricultural Marketing Boards are required to use portions of their funding to support research at the University of California. The Industry Alliances Office facilitates and signs research funding agreements from Agricultural Marketing Boards - organizations created to help provide stable markets for dairy products, fruits, vegetables and specialty crops through the regulation of production, pricing, and distribution.

A letter of intent (LOI) provides a company with a time-limited negotiation period in which to negotiate a license agreement. It is typically used in instances where the company would like to “lock up” the intellectual property rights while conducting due diligence or speaking with investors and other potential partners.

See a primer on the different forms of licensing arrangements that companies can explore for commercializing UC Berkeley research discoveries, with UC Berkeley standard terms and conditions. Contact the Office of Technology Licensing for assistance establishing a license agreement at UC Berkeley.

See a sample sample stock issuance agreement template with UC Berkeley standard terms and conditions. Contact the Office of Technology Licensing for assistance establishing a license agreement at UC Berkeley.

See sample equity agreement templates with UC Berkeley standard terms and conditions. Contact the Office of Technology Licensing for assistance establishing an equity agreement at UC Berkeley.

See sample startup agreement templates with UC Berkeley standard terms and conditions. Contact the Office of Technology Licensing for assistance establishing a startup agreement at UC Berkeley.

Berkeley Research Infrastructure Commons facilities are available to industry users for commercial purposes under commercial rate structures and business-friendly intellectual property terms. The Berkeley RIC Faculty Lab eXceptional-use for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Berkeley RIC FLEXIE) program enables early stage (pre-product sales) startup companies affiliated with UC Berkeley to temporarily conduct new product R&D in faculty labs—under certain conditions and rigorous oversight.