Partnership Contract Mechanisms
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s world-renowned research capabilities are available to provide support to the private sector, academia, and other agencies for research and development. The Lab’s staff can provide expertise and help solve a wide range of challenges in fields such as energy, environment, data science, medicine, and nuclear science technology. The Strategic Partnership Office facilitates these collaborations through the contracting mechanisms described below.
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
Brookhaven uses a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) when a partner and the lab intend to collaborate on a project. It protects a company's and Brookhaven's existing intellectual property and provides a framework for newly developed intellectual property during the project. It also allows the company to negotiate for an exclusive field-of-use license to subject inventions that arise during the CRADA's execution. See steps in the CRADA contracting guidance (PDF).
Shared Resources CRADA
This CRADA is for a joint research project between Brookhaven and a partner to develop, advance, or commercialize a Brookhaven-developed technology with the partner providing an in-kind contribution. It must fit within the scope of a project at Brookhaven that is funded by DOE.
Funds-In CRADA
This CRADA allows for the partner to pay for all or some of Brookhaven's costs under the project. However, Brookhaven does not provide funds to the partner.
Strategic Partnership Projects Agreements
Brookhaven uses a Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) agreement when a partner seeks research and development to complete a project but does not intend to perform the work jointly. The partner fully covers the costs of the work to be performed.
Interagency Agreement (Gov't)
This SPP is used when a federal agency other than the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funds Brookhaven's work directly. The agreement is negotiated and entered between DOE and the other federal agency. See guidance for government sponsors seeking to initiate a project at Brookhaven Lab.
Funds-In Agreement (Non-Gov't)
With this SPP, a nonfederal entity pays Brookhaven to conduct a research-oriented project. This version of the nonfederal SPP has no agreement value limit and has intellectual property provisions which address inventions. There is a limited ability to negotiate the agreement. See guidance (PDF).
Technical Services Agreement
A technical services agreement (TSA) is suitable for projects $250,000 or less in value, up to two years in duration, and funded entirely by the sponsor for services which would not be expected to result in any inventions. This agreement is non-negotiable.
Agreements for Commercializing Technology
An Agreement for Commercializing Technology (ACT) agreement authorizes participating contractor-operated U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories, such as Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC at Brookhaven, to partner with businesses using more flexible terms that are aligned with industry practice.
Contacts
Comparison of Contract Mechanisms
