Industrial and Other Non-Federal Collaborations and Agreements

MIT and industry have a long record of cooperation on joint educational and research programs. In recent years, industrial organizations worldwide provided about 15 percent of MIT’s total research support, with private non-profit foundations providing 5 percent and local, state, and foreign governments an additional 2 percent. Industry and other non-federal sources of research funding rely on gifts and research contracts to provide funds that support MIT’s research and to define the ways in which these entities make use of the knowledge and technology generated by the research they support.

This section describes the many types of agreements frequently used by MIT to support its educational and research activities. These agreements are drafted, reviewed, negotiated, executed, and retained by one or more of these MIT offices:

The most frequently used agreements perform these functions:

Support research and education programs
Govern exchange of information or materials
Govern licensing of MIT technology
Govern loan or acquisition of equipment and software
Govern shipment of MIT equipment to off-campus site
Govern personnel exchange between MIT and third parties

These agreements fall into the classes identified below. Click on any of the links for more information on the type of agreement and to identify the MIT office responsible for drafting and negotiating the particular agreement type.

Types of Agreements Frequently Used to Enable Research by MIT

Agreements Supporting Research and Educational Programs

Class of Agreement

Examples

Purpose

Primary Office(s) Responsible

Research

Sponsored Research Agreements
Cooperative Agreements
Agreements to Plan or Propose Research

Plan, organize, and support research at MIT and enable MIT to cooperate with other organizations on joint research activities.

OSP

Gifts

Gift Acknowledgments

Gift Use Agreements

Acknowledge gifts made to MIT and direct the gift to the appropriate MIT need, department, lab, center, or group.

ORS

Educational Programs and Materials

Educational Program or Teaching Materials Development Agreements
Publication and Authorship Agreements

Enable MIT to develop educational programs and curriculum materials for outside organizations

OGC and TLO

*Agreements Governing Information or Materials Exchange*
Class of Agreement	Examples	Purpose	Primary Office(s) Responsible
Exchange of Information	Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements (for research discussions) Research Data Use Agreements	Keep certain information confidential Control how data are used in research by MIT	See MIT's NDA website
	Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements (for licensing discussions)	Keep information on MIT inventions confidential to protect patentability	See MIT's NDA website
	Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements (for purchasing-related or in-licensing purposes)	Enable MIT to evaluate equipment or software for potential licensing, borrowing, and/or purchasing	See MIT's NDA website
Exchange of Materials and Equipment for Research Use	Materials Transfer Agreements	Govern how physical materials and equipment will be exchanged, modified, consumed, or used in research collaborations	TLO

Agreements Governing MIT Intellectual Property

Class of Agreement

Examples

Purpose

Primary Office(s) Responsible

Licenses and Permissions to Use MIT Intellectual Property

Licenses for MIT Copyright, Patent, Software
Use of MIT’s Name and Trademark

Permit outside organizations to use MIT’s patented inventions and software, copyrighted publications, and name and trademark

TLO

*Agreements Governing Loan or Acquisition of Equipment or Software*
Class of Agreement	Examples	Purpose	Primary Office(s) Responsible
Equipment or Software Loan to MIT with or without Eventual Acquisition	Agreements to Sell Equipment or Software to MIT	Set conditions for loan and acquisition of third-party data, databases, software, or equipment by MIT researchers	Procurement and OGC
	Agreements to Loan Equipment or Software to MIT with Eventual Acquisition		Procurement and OGC
	Agreements to Loan Equipment or Software to MIT without Eventual Acquisition	Permit MIT to use equipment or software from outside organizations	TLO (with IP terms) or OSP (without IP terms)
Loans of MIT Equipment to Third Parties for Display (e.g. museums)	Agreements to Borrow Equipment from MIT	Set conditions for borrowing equipment from MIT for display purposes (not for research use by the borrower)	OGC

Agreements Governing Shipment of MIT Equipment to Off-campus Site

Class of Agreement

Examples

Purpose

Primary Office(s) Responsible

Shipment of MIT Equipment to Off-campus Site

Agreements to Ship MIT-Owned equipment to third-party sites for research (e.g. testing) under MIT sponsored programs

Set conditions for shipment, protection and, if needed, return of equipment, plus actions to be taken at third-party site

Procurement

*Agreements Governing Personnel and Student Exchange*
Class of Agreement	Examples	Purpose	Primary Office(s) Responsible
MIT People Working at Non-MIT Locations	Student Internship Agreements (programs and individual internships) Personnel Loan (Secondment) Agreements	Permit MIT faculty, staff, and/or students to study or conduct research at the sites of other organizations	OGC or OSP (for LGO¹ and SCEP² agreements only)
MIT People Working at Non-MIT Locations	Agreements for Use of non-MIT Facilities by MIT for MIT Research		OSP
Visitors Working at MIT	Visitor and Secondment Agreements	Permit outside visitors to work at MIT and use MIT facilities in cooperation with MIT researchers	OGC
Visitors Working at MIT	Intellectual Property and Information Agreements (IPIA) for Visitors		TLO
Use of MIT’s Facilities	Agreements for Use of MIT Facilities by Outsiders	Permit outside organizations to use MIT’s unique facilities when not in use by MIT researchers	OGC

Footnotes

1. Leaders for Global Operations (formerly Leaders for Manufacturing)

2. David H. Koch School of Chemical Engineering Practice