1. Establishing a contract/cooperation agreement on the task, including financing

Beneath you as a researcher can get answers to questions about contract/cooperation agreement on the task and financing.

For all research projects, collaboration with external parties must be described in a contract for which the TTO has a standard. The contract must be clear and comprehensive, and it must ensure a clear agreement between AU and the external party on the research project. The division of roles must be well described, and AU researchers must have the right to publish their own results. Furthermore, the intellectual property rights to the results generated by AU in the project must fall to the university. The contract and communication with the external party up to conclusion of the contract must be recorded and filed. Any changes to the contract must be agreed, and all correspondence about the changes must be recorded and filed with the contract.

Is there a standard contract?

Yes, TTO has prepared standard wordings for a contract.

What should the contract contain?

As a minimum:

Title
The interests of the parties in the collaboration.
Start date
Finances
Hours
Hourly rate
Overhead rate
Description of the project and the contributions of the parties.
Organisation of the assignment [project manager, advisory group/steering committee, division of roles etc.]
Agreed publication and its form, including principles for authorship, contributors and press
Quality assurance procedures and possibly external consultation.

These are all in the standard contract; the TTO will check that everything is included.

Is a letter of grant approval from an external party sufficient?

No, a contract must be drawn up and signed by both parties. Only with regard to grants for which it is only necessary to report on how the grant is used, will a letter of grant approval be sufficient, see the AU delegation provisions.

How should any (co-)financing of the project by the external party be disclosed?

(copy 4)

The contract should state the amount and for what purpose the external party is financing the project. This should also be stated in the product.

Who should draw up the contract?

The TTO on the basis of your information.

Who can help you to complete the contract?

A person appointed by the department, for example the head of department/centre director, or section manager, can help you gather the information the TTO needs for the contract.

Do I have to draw up the contract myself?

No, the TTO should do this. See above to find out who can help you with the right information.

Who should approve and sign the contract?

The head of department/centre director.

Is collaboration with researchers from another university or research institution also considered as collaboration with external parties?

No, these guidelines only apply for collaboration with companies and special interest organisations, but in all cases there should be a contract clearly describing the division of roles, etc.

What do I do about personal data and GDPR?

Ask the TTO.

Can I set up a joint knowledge synthesis with a company?

Yes, as a researcher you can prepare a joint knowledge synthesis with a company, but you should be careful on publication: If the product is to be published as an AU report, it must clearly state what the external party has contributed, and what you, an AU researcher, are responsible for and have contributed. Of course, the product can be published as a peer-reviewed article

Revised 13.12.2023

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