Types of Agreements
The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) is responsible for reviewing, negotiating and finalizing sponsored research contracts with the Federal Government, State Government, Foundations and corporate partners. OSP provides information and support to faculty, staff and others engaged in sponsored activities with corporate/for-profit organizations. In addition, the URI Research Foundation is also authorized to negotiate and finalize sponsored research contracts with corporate partners.
There are several types of other research-related agreements that researchers, faculty, and administrators may encounter. They vary by the goal and nature of the engagement, as well as the identity of the other party.
Signatory Authority
There are a limited number of individuals that have received approval from the URI Board of Trustees with the authority to sign on behalf of the University. Each agreement type below has information on specific route for review and signature from the appropriate individual. With limited exceptions, all agreements are reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) before signature. Prior to sending to the appropriate signatory, please review the OGC Contract Review Protocol.
Agreement Types
Data Use Agreement (DUA): A contract that generally facilitate the transfer of data for faculty to use in scholarly activities that is subject to some restriction on its use. DUAs serve to outline the terms and conditions of the transfer. These terms and conditions may include limitations on the use of data, obligations to safeguard the data, and privacy rights that are associated with transfers of confidential or protected data. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Research Integrity (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA): An agreement that governs the transfer of tangible research materials between the university and a third party. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Intellectual Property and Economic Development (Contact: Tammy Vittone, Executive Assistant; tamara_vittone@uri.edu).
Confidentiality Agreement (CDA or NDA): An agreement that allows University faculty and staff to exchange confidential information with outside third parties under obligations to protect and preserve the confidentiality of the information. Generally, CDAs are entered into for the purpose of exploring a potential research collaboration or license agreement. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Intellectual Property and Economic Development (Contact: Tammy Vittone, Executive Assistant; tamara_vittone@uri.edu).
Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) or Clinical Research Agreement (CRA): An agreement directly with a for-profit company or non-profit foundation that may be providing funding and the study drug or device for a Clinical Trial. These agreements can be for a Sponsor-Initiated or Investigator-Initial Clinical Trial and are generally processed through OSP and require routing a proposal through InfoEd. For more information see OSP Pre-Award.
Collaboration Agreement: An agreement covering an unfunded collaboration where both URI and the other party are contributing to the performance of a research scope of work. This can be with a for-profit, non-profit or academic entity. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Consortium Agreement: An agreement that governs the terms of membership in a consortium. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Consulting Agreement: A personal agreement between faculty or other academic employees and outside entities to which the university is not a party. This activity is independent of the university and the agreements are not signed or reviewed by the university.
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA): A legal agreement between a federal laboratory and the university to work together on a project. The agreement does not involve transfer of funds from the government. A CRADA allows the Federal Government and the University to optimize their resources, share technical expertise, and share intellectual property emerging from the effort. CRADAs are used by federal laboratories to provide facilities, equipment, personnel, services, or other non-monetary resources in the support of a collaborative research effort. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Letter of Intent (LOI): A non-binding statement that acknowledges intent to explore the possibility of collaboration. LOIs are appropriate when a new project is being initiated, upon first meeting new international partners, or in connection with a one-time project. The LOI can serve as a signal of good will or a signal of the willingness to discuss the opportunities to cooperate further. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): A type of agreement between two (bilateral) or more (multilateral) parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used either in cases where parties do not imply a legal commitment or in situations where the parties cannot create a legally enforceable agreement. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).
Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA): An agreement with either a for-profit company (e.g., private industry) or a nonprofit entity (e.g., state or federal government, foundations, etc.) providing funding for a pre-clinical or non-clinical research project. Generally, these agreements are processed through OSP and require routing a proposal through InfoEd. For more information see OSP Pre-Award.
In certain cases, private industry funded research may be processed through the URI Ventures (Contact: Tammy Vittone, Executive Assistant; tamara_vittone@uri.edu).
Subaward/Subcontract: An agreement issued to the university under a prime contract or grant. These agreements are processed through OSP and require routing a proposal through InfoEd. For more information see OSP Pre-Award.
Teaming Agreement: An agreement entered into at the pre-proposal stage of funding between the university and a collaborator. This agreement allows the parties to express their willingness to work together to bid on a funding opportunity, may discuss plans for a future subaward, and provides for the protection of any confidential information exchanged. These agreements are often requested by companies who want to ensure the confidential treatment of any proprietary information they disclose while collaborating on the proposal. These agreements are processed through the URI Office of Sponsored Projects (Contact: Elizabeth Buchanan, AVP Research Administration (elizabeth.buchanan@uri.edu).