Legal Agreements for Research Collaborations

Agreements for External Research Collaborations

As one of the preeminent research institutions in the United States, Old Dominion University engages in a high volume of research collaborations with a variety of institutions, including but not limited to, other universities, companies, government labs, non-profit organizations, and military commands.

The Innovations Commercialization group within the Office of Research initiates, drafts, negotiates, approves, and manages four primary legal agreements to cover research collaborations by ODU faculty, staff and students with external parties. These agreements include, but are not limited to, the following:

What are Agreements?

An agreement (or a contract) involves a set of promises, for which performance is recognized as a legal obligation. Each agreement document contains a performance obligation such as a description of the actions to be performed, as well as the rights and responsibilities of each party. Failure by the University or the other party to deliver what is promised is a breach of contract.