The aim is that both you as a researcher and the university as the participant organization, through effective contract management, understand the rules for participation and maximize opportunities for successful scientific cooperations. Well-drafted project agreements clarify the roles and assignment, minimize risks, facilitate communication and ensure smooth project management. Besides, the legal counsel and the innovation advisor guide on the selection of the right intellectual property protection available for research results to maximize the value of such results.

These are the steps that you as coordinator/administrator need to complete when you contact the legal counsel for assistance in drafting, reviewing or negotiating the terms and conditions for conducting research projects at the university.

Services

Contract review: the service consists of the preparation, legal review, and if possible, negotiation of the contract terms applicable to your externally funded project in line with the university’s applicable legal framework as a Swedish authority. Which legal documents should be reviewed?

• Scientific collaboration agreements
• Commissioned research agreements
• Consortium agreements for EU-funded research and innovation projects
• Partnership Agreements (applicable for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions — MSCA)
• Amendment to the EU Framework Programme Grant Agreement
• Industrial doctoral student agreements
• Guest professorship agreements
• Letter of intent (memorandum of understanding)
• Material transfer agreements
• Non-Disclosure agreements

Legal advice on intellectual property in academic contexts: A complete approach requires a legal perspective to increase the value of results through intellectual property protection. With both legal advice and innovation advice, you get help to create the necessary agreements and structures to take your results to the next step.

Checklist initial contact

There is a checklist available with a guide that aims to facilitate the communication regarding the contract management process to ensure an effective project’s implementation. 

Read the checklist

Initial contact

Schedule a meeting with the legal advisor:
Zuleyma Montenegro De Rynge
(contact – ZUMO in Zoom).

Contract management

For providing you accurate legal advice, the legal counsel needs the following information:

• General description of the project's content: Describe the project’s purpose and the university's role in the collaboration;
• Describe how the project is to be financed. If applicable, project certificates should be duly signed by the authorized representative;
• Contact details of the coordinator; and,
• Participating researchers' views on ownership of research results.

Signing

The right to sign an agreement follows the University of Borås's delegation orders SOB (the Board's Organizational and Decision-making Procedure) and ROB (Vice-Chancellor’s Organisational and Decision-making Procedure) which are structured as follows:

Grant agreements for research and innovation projects (contracts related to grants or project part’s approval of the funding body’s grant terms)

• Over 10.000.000 SEK in turnover including co-funding - The vice-chancellor is the authorized representative for executing the agreement.
• Up to 10.000.000 SEK - The dean of faculty, the head of research and Innovation (applicable for projects managed by Science Park Borås) or any other equivalent manager.
• Up to the respective head of department’s delegated threshold by a higher hierarchy - Head of section, head of department or any other equivalent manager.

Other agreements for research and innovation projects*

• Over 5.000.000 SEK - The vice-chancellor is the authorized representative for executing the agreement.
• Up to 5.000.000 SEK - The dean of faculty, the head of research and Innovation (applicable for projects managed by Science Park Borås) or any other equivalent manager.
• Up to the respective head of department’s delegated threshold by a higher hierarchy - Head of section, head of department or any other equivalent manager. 

*The information contained in this table is based on the Vice Chancellor’s organizational and decision-making procedures and is intended for information purposes only. To find out the authorized signatory for your project, contact your immediate supervisor for more information.