Resources

Information for Companies

Learn about the agreements that support Dalhousie-industry partnerships 
 

This section covers:

• An overview of the partnership agreements for university-industry collaborations (i.e. research, service, and license agreements).

• An overview of license agreement that support technology transfer and commercialization.

• Detailed descriptions of the processes and timelines involved in the creation of each partnership agreement.

• Downloads for related templates/forms.

• Related university policies.

Partnership Agreements

The agreements that support university-industry partnerships and technology transfer include:

1. Standard Form Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
   Review the process and access downloads here.
   
   A contract used to establish a confidential relationship between all parties.
   Confidential conversations are often important pre-cursors to potential partnerships. It enables those who participate in the conversation to freely share information.
   
   
2. Research Collaboration Agreement
   Review the process and access downloads here.
   
   A contract that formalizes a research partnership between your company and the university. This research activity and its potential intellectual property is central to achieving the goal of the partnership.
   
   
3. Service Agreement
   Review the process and access downloads here.
   
   A contract used when your company pays for the services of a university facility. There is no generation of intellectual property (IP), i.e, the activity outlined will not yield data or a discovery that could be publishable.
   
   
4. License Agreement
   Review the process and access downloads here.
   
   Used in cases of tech transfer, this contract grants your company a license (exclusive or non-exclusive) to use select Dalhousie owned IP/inventions under negotiated terms & conditions.

Related University Policies and Other Resources 
 

Intellectual Property Policy 

• Generally speaking, the university operates on a creator-owned IP practice which allows researchers to decide whether or not to assign IP to the university or maintain full ownership rights themselves. Should your company be working with OCIE on tech transfer activities, it’s because the researcher involved has assigned the IP of the invention in question over to the university for management. Please note: An official IP policy for Dalhousie is expected by the end of the 2020/21 academic year.

Conflict of Interest Policy

• A conflict of interest exists when the personal interests of a university member contradict the member’s obligation to uphold the interests and mission of the university. Download a PDF copy [109 KB] of the policy directly.

Dal Innovates

• The OCIE is a foundational element of Dal Innovates, which feeds into the broader innovation ecosystem in Atlantic Canada by providing our region with a pipeline of talent and economic opportunities. If your company is interested in getting involved with training or mentoring the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs through programming offered by Dal Innovates, please visit Dalinnovates.ca to learn more.