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Research Collaboration Agreement

A completed fictional university-company research collaboration defining governance, funding, intellectual property, publication and data protection.

Jurisdiction: England and Wales - completed fictional worked example

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Important: This sample provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. Check the law, prescribed forms and signing requirements that apply to your exact jurisdiction and circumstances before use.

# RESEARCH COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

Date: 9 May 2035

Parties: Wessex Institute of Technology and Calder Bioanalytics Ltd

## 1. Purpose and parties

This research collaboration agreement is made on 9 May 2035 between Wessex Institute of Technology, a higher-education provider at 1 Observatory Lane, Bath BA2 7QH, and Calder Bioanalytics Ltd, company number 14783026, of 30 Science Park Road, Bristol BS10 6QR. The project is titled Low-Temperature Enzyme Screening.

## 2. Facts, scope and terms

The project runs from 1 June 2035 to 31 May 2037. The Institute will provide two named researchers, laboratory access and quarterly reports; Calder will provide reagents, a technical liaison and £240,000 in four equal instalments of £60,000 on 1 June 2035, 1 December 2035, 1 June 2036 and 1 December 2036.

## 3. Process and responsibilities

Each party keeps its background intellectual property. New results created solely by one party belong to that party; jointly created results are jointly owned in equal shares, subject to any third-party or funder terms. Calder receives a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use project results for internal research and product development, but commercial licensing requires a separate written agreement.

## 4. Evidence, records and safeguards

Researchers may publish results after giving the other party 30 days to identify confidential information and 60 days to request a reasonable patent-filing delay. A delay must not exceed 90 days in total. Academic freedom and accurate attribution are preserved, but neither party may disclose the other's confidential information or use the other's name as an endorsement.

## 5. Review, escalation and outcome

The Institute will obtain appropriate approvals for human or animal work and will not begin regulated activity without them. Each party will follow health and safety, export-control, anti-bribery and applicable data-protection requirements. Personal data will be minimised; neither party promises that a research result will be safe, effective, patentable or commercially successful.

## 6. Reservations and practical protections

A steering committee of two representatives per party will review milestones and approve a written change order. Either party may suspend its work for a serious safety concern and may terminate for an uncured material breach after 30 days' notice or for a legally available insolvency event. Unused prepaid funds are reconciled against documented committed costs.

## 7. England and Wales law and completion

This completed fictional agreement is governed by England and Wales law. On expiry, confidentiality lasts five years, while ownership, publication, liability and accrued payment rights survive as stated. The parties will use good-faith discussions before court proceedings, without preventing urgent protective relief; neither party excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

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