Working with Industry-Consult ICO
Industrial Contracts Office
If your research will involve interactions with, or funding from, industry, or if you need research materials from labs outside Stanford, the Industrial Contracts Office (ICO) will negotiate and sign your agreements on behalf of the University.
We negotiate sponsored research and other research-related agreements with industry. These agreements range from multi-year, master research collaborations to individual research projects, with companies large and small. ICO handles material transfer agreements with all types of entities: companies, government agencies and non-profits. ICO also executes agreements for Industry Affiliates Programs.
ICO works in close collaboration with research and administrative offices throughout Stanford and advises other University offices on intellectual property terms and related policies. We are part of the Office of Technology Licensing -- OTL -- Stanford's technology transfer office.
Research Agreements
ICO negotiates and signs sponsored research and related research agreements with industry, as well as data transfers and material transfers with all types of entities. Industry clinical trial agreements, however, are handled by the RMG in the School of Medicine. ICO negotiates a variety of research contracts from multi-year master research agreements covering many projects, to smaller one-time research projects, with companies large and small. ICO also handles agreements for industry affiliates programs.
The Industrial Contracts Office website outlines the processes for finalizing the following types of agreements:
- Sponsored Research Agreements
- Amendments to existing agreements
- Research Collaboration Agreements
- Confidentiality Agreements
- Data Transfer Agreements
- Equipment Loans from Industry
- Human Tissue Transfer Agreements
- Material Transfer Agreements
- Software Licenses from Industry
- Industry Affiliates Agreements
To learn more about negotiating agreements for your industry-funded research project and where to start the process, visit the Industrial Contracts Office website.
Data Agreements
Access to large data sets is a key component of research at Stanford. Often, the data providers or recipients require the researcher or Stanford to sign a written or online agreement. Data agreements are different from Material Transfer Agreements, which generally involve the transfer of tangible laboratory materials such as reagents, cell lines or mice.
Stanford’s research contracting and purchasing offices can answer questions and help researchers navigate agreements for incoming or outgoing data:
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Agreements with industry should be sent to the Industrial Contracts Office
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Agreements with government or non-profit entities are handled by the Office of Sponsored Research
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Agreements to purchase or store data are handled by the Procurement Office
For more information on handling data agreements and who may sign them, please see the February 2015 memo from the Vice Provost and Dean of Research.
