Agreements on research cooperation

What should you bear in mind when considering whether to enter into an agreement?

• It is important to be aware of cultural and political differences. For each specific cooperation, consideration should be given to both fundamental national interests and academic values.
• According to NUPI's Challenging Knowledge Cooperation (in Norwegian) report administrative staff at several institutions point out that the establishment and follow-up of agreements can be very time-consuming, and that many projects fail to allocate sufficient time for this work.
• This does not apply to research agreements between nations, as these are politically motivated and controlled. However, research agreements at central government level, together with multilateral frameworks and the EU agreements (Science and technology (S&T) roadmaps) with individual countries, can define the terms for partnerships at institutional or corporate level.

What should management and administration bear in mind when entering into an agreement?

• Have joint exchange agreements between several Norwegian institutions and foreign partners been considered? This is particularly relevant for small disciplines and institutions.
• Have visibility and the impact on the institution's own reputation been considered?
• Is the cooperation agreement supported by the employees' professional network? This is important for quality assurance, ownership and follow-up.
• Has the exchange agreement undergone legal and administrative quality assurance?
• Have challenges related to the basis for transferring personal data to third countries been considered?
• Has it been considered whether potential ethical and security-related considerations are under pressure and, if so, has this been taken into account in the agreement? Examples include protection of academic values such as freedom of expression, data protection and information security.
• Is a residence permit or visa required? What type of permit or visa is required? For mobility to Norway, see udi.no/en.
• Has the cooperation agreement been signed at the correct level?

What should an agreement contain?

• A formal agreement should contain clauses on open information and a common, mutual obligation to comply with norms, rules and/or special agreements regarding academic freedom, integrity, impartiality (conflicts of interests, conflicts of commitment) and transparency. The agreement should be made public, unless competition considerations indicate secrecy.
• A definition of the partners
• Objectives and the concrete expected results of the cooperation
• A budget, sufficiently detailed to allow no room for doubt about who will bear the costs, as well as reporting procedures, periods etc.
• A timeline for activities and results
• Agreements on mutual progress reporting
• Agreement on the use of equipment, infrastructure, software and access to digital infrastructure.
• Agreement on access to data: both data generated through the cooperation and data and know-how that are brought into the project.
• Agreement on the exchange and processing of personal data relating to partners and, if applicable, study objects (cf. the rules in the GDPR).
• Agreement on forms of involvement and follow-up of students in research collaborations, where relevant.
• Description of expected intellectual property values and rights from the project
• Agreement on intellectual property rights (IPR). This applies to copyright, patents on trademarks, designs, source code or data, and storage of data. Who has ownership rights, and who can take out a patent? Can results be patented and licensed? How will revenue from licensing be divided?
• Agreements on what should not be disclosed, where competition considerations, other commercial considerations, or considerations of the partner's dedication or expectations dictate secrecy.
• Agreement on rules for publication and crediting from the project. Publication norms vary between subject areas and sectors.