Visiting Industrial Fellows
What is a Visiting Industrial Fellow?
The Visiting Industrial Fellow (VIF) classification enables individuals employed by for-profit companies to conduct research at UC Berkeley under the supervision of a Berkeley faculty member. The VIF is a subset of the Visiting Scholars designation, a privilege accorded to guests hosted by a UC Berkeley campus unit for a specified time with the primary purpose of research or scholarship. VIFs follow the same processes and protocols as Visiting Scholars. Visit the Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA) website for detailed guidance. This formal affiliation allows for proper administration and oversight minimizing risk to the UC Berkeley brand, reputation, and research activity.
What is a Visiting Entrepreneur?
A Visiting Entrepreneur is a person participating in a UC Berkeley program, and either (1) works for a startup, or (2) plans to found a startup company. Visiting Entrepreneurs participate in either research or educational programs. Visiting Entrepreneurs participating in a UC Berkeley research program should follow the same processes and protocols as Visiting Scholars. Visit the Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA) website for detailed guidance, including signing the UC Patent Acknowledgment.
In Berkeley RIC FLEXIE (formerly known as SSUFIE) agreements, which establish official campus status for the staff of early stage startups conducting new product R&D in faculty labs, most Visiting Entrepreneurial Fellows (VEFs) become Visiting Scholars via Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA).
Can a person employed by private industry join a UC Berkeley lab as a volunteer? Volunteers must sign the UC Patent Acknowledgment. Nonetheless, volunteers are not Visiting Scholars or Visiting Industrial Fellows. Learn more on the Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA) website.
Visiting Industrial Fellows (VIFs) are treated as Visiting Scholars at UC Berkeley. VIFs follow the process for Visiting Scholars outlined on UC Berkeley’s Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA) website. VSPA sets forth university guidelines on Visiting Scholar eligibility. Among other criteria, VIFs need to be in a research title to gain access to UC Berkeley research facilities.
Visiting Industrial Fellows (VIFs) need to be approved, sponsored, and advised by a faculty member. UC Berkeley’s Visiting Scholars and Postdoctoral Affairs (VSPA) office has the final authority to approve a VIF in accordance with the University’s visiting scholar criteria.
If you are working with the Industry Alliances Office (IAO) on drafting a sponsored research agreement, or if you are working with or creating an Industry Affiliate Program or Industry Sponsored Institute, the Visiting Industrial Fellow (VIF) may visit under the terms of that contract and by following VSPA’s 5 step process for hosting Visiting Scholars. VIF terms may also be added to already existing agreements. If your industry partner has provided gift funding, please note that a VIF will also need a visiting collaborator contract identifying (1) the location of the visit (i.e., the lab) and (2) a scope of work, and (3) start and end dates. Please contact the IPIRA Concierge to discuss.
Visiting Scholars including Visiting Industrial Fellows (VIFs) must sign the UC Patent Acknowledgement prior to admittance to a UC Berkeley research program or lab and commencing in the research. Please see Berkeley Regional Services (BRS) for the UC Patent Acknowledgement. To submit a signed UC Patent Acknowledgment, the UC Berkeley host should connect the VIF to their HR Business Partner, as identified by Berkeley Regional Services.
If your Industry Affiliate Program (IAP) contract created by the Industry Alliances Office has Visiting Industrial Fellow (VIF) terms, the VIF may visit under the terms of that contract. If your IAP contract does not contain VIF terms, please contact the IPIRA Concierge for assistance. Visiting Industrial Fellows (VIFs) are classified as Visiting Scholars, so Berkeley faculty must follow VSPA’s 5 step process for hosting Visiting Scholars. If your industry partner has provided gift funding, please note that a VIF will need some form of visiting collaborator contract identifying the location of the visit and providing a scope of work. Please contact our IPIRA Concierge to discuss.
