Guide for Industry
The University of Idaho’s mission centers on the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge. The U of I’s research mission enables student successes in a rapidly changing world by building curricula that integrate emerging technologies and developing learning activities. The benefactors of U of I research are the citizens of Idaho and the United States. These benefactors expect that the U of I’s research, instruction, and service activities will provide a public benefit. The U of I participates in a broad range of relationships with governmental agencies, non-profit foundations, and industry. Properly cast, all such relationships can help U of I and the external party advance their respective and mutual research interests.
Sample Contracts
- Industry Basic and Applied Research Agreement (Assignment) — U of I is committed to conducting basic and applied research. So long as the industry sponsor reimburses actual direct and indirect costs, the university may provide the sponsor the option to obtain ownership of inventions discovered during the sponsored research, while retaining for itself a license to use those inventions for university research and educational purposes. Moreover, U of I retains the right to freely publish and present the research results.
- Industry Basic and Applied Research Agreement (Non-Assignment) — However, the more traditional sponsored research arrangement remains available. Here the university retains ownership of the inventions and the industry sponsor has the first right to negotiate in good faith with U of I an exclusive license to that invention.
- Mutual Confidentiality Agreement — This agreement may be used when it may be necessary for each the industry sponsor and the university need to disclose to each other confidential information in contemplation of a research or other agreement.
- Non-Proprietary Field Trial Grant — The U of I has many on-going field trial programs. An industry sponsor may provide financial support to the U of I to cover costs associated with a field trial.
- Testing Agreement — The U of I has measurement, composition, fabrication, and analysis capabilities. The U of I may offer these to various constituencies, including industry, for the benefit of the State of Idaho.
- Student Educational Activity Agreement — Industry may sponsor an educational experience for students undertaken as part of an approved, for credit course.
Frequently Asked Questions
The university’s flexible intellectual property practices are responsive to industry needs. Moreover, OSP and OTT will assist your company through the agreement process. The University of Idaho has myriad areas of world-class research including the following:
- Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Art and Architecture
- Business and Economics
- Engineering
- Social Sciences
- Natural Resources
- Science
Significant competitive strengths exist within U of I in the research areas of biotechnology, advanced materials and processes, water, transportation, aquaculture, and microelectronics. The university has cultivated these strengths into a group of nationally recognized interdisciplinary centers and institutes:
- Aquaculture Research Institute
- The Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST)
- Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI)
- Idaho Geological Survey (IGS)
The university may provide the sponsor an assignment of inventions resulting from industry sponsored research, at its request. When making such an assignment, the university retains for itself a license to use those inventions for U of I research and educational purposes. The university will assess whether background intellectual property is necessary to practice potential foreground intellectual property. In those instances when U of I background intellectual property is necessary to practice foreground intellectual property, U of I will negotiate with the industry sponsor a license, to the extent such rights are available.
Yes. In rare cases, terms can be modified for mutual benefit.
Contact the OSP
Because of the many different ways that the University of Idaho can help your business, we recommend contacting an Office of Sponsored Programs representative who will work with you to find the best option.
Office of Sponsored Programs
Phone: 208-885-6651
Fax: 208-885-4990
Email: osp@uidaho.edu