University standard research agreement
Can I use the agreement | Conditions of Use | What if the Conditions are not met? | Completing the Schedule | Signing and submitting | Contact us
Can I use the agreement?
The University Standard Research Agreement is:- Designed for use in research projects and should NOT be used for consultancies or clinical trials.
- An agreement under which the University owns the Project IP and has an option to do further research. In return the sponsor can use the IP for its non-commercial internal operations and can commercialise it within a defined area (in the agreement referred to as the “Field”). Read the Conditions of Use below for information on when it is appropriate to use the agreement, and how to prepare and submit it.
Conditions of Use
The Dean or Head may sign this agreement when all the following Conditions of Use are met:- There are no students working on the project
- The contract value is <$300,000
- No amendments have been made to the terms and conditions of the agreement
- Additional terms have not been added as an annexure to the agreement, or in the Schedules to the agreement
- The Schedules to the agreement have been completed, and clearly describe what the University will do, as well as the payment details
- The description of the Field is specific and limited to the sponsor’s area of interest
- The latest version of the agreement is used (ie the one currently available from this page.
What if the Conditions cannot be met?
If the Conditions cannot be observed, or if terms require modification, the agreement cannot be signed by the Dean or Head, and must be sent to the Research Office for review by an authorised officer. In these circumstances the use of the standard agreement is still beneficial as the legal review process will be faster. Please refer to our page Completing the Forms for instructions.
In these circumstances the use of the standard agreement is still beneficial as the legal review process will be faster. If the Dean or Head cannot sign the agreement because the total amount is above $300,000 but the remaining conditions of use have been met, Contact the Research Contracts Group to arrange sign-off.
Completing the Schedule
- University Standard Research Agreement (pdf)
- Schedule page (doc)
Pay special attention when completing the "Field". Be specific as the sponsor will be granted licence for use of IP and an option for commercialisation based on this description.
Once the agreement is signed it is a binding agreement and cannot be varied by simply substituting a new Schedule. If you need to vary the terms of the Agreement, or the details in the Schedule post-authorisation, see our Amendments page.
Signing and submitting the agreement
Print one copy for each party to the agreement and have it signed by the Dean or Head, as each party must retain one original signed agreement. Arrange for an authorised representative of the Sponsor to sign each original and return one copy to you. The last party to sign must insert, on the first page, the date they have signed. Send to the address below:- One original fully signed agreement
- One University Standard Agreement Checklist
- One Budget Form for Research (if financial)
Manager, Research Contracts
Melbourne Research Office
Level 5, 161 Barry Street
University of Melbourne