Congratulations on finding a UW faculty researcher to join you in working on a research question, problem or challenge that is of interest to your company. What’s next?
For any sponsored research to take place, a mutually signed sponsored research agreement (SRA) must first be in place.
What are the roles and the steps?
The process of establishing the SRA involves the sponsoring company, the UW researchers, the UW’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and others with the UW depending on what is being proposed.
You and the UW researcher work together to define the work to be undertaken in the sponsored project. This includes articulating the scope of work (SOW), the timeframe, the general cost of the work, the required resources and the division of labor.
Once these project details are developed, the UW researcher initiates an institutional review process by submitting a project proposal to OSP. The proposal review encompasses several areas of consideration for OSP.
After institutional review, OSP initiates an agreement with the corporate sponsor. The final agreement is reviewed, approved and ultimately signed by the two parties. Once an approved agreement is in place, a UW project account is created and the sponsored project can officially begin.
How long does the process take?
The timeline to complete an SRA depends on the variables that arise during the negotiation process. Final approvals can take as little as two to three weeks for the negotiation phase if UW’s standard SRA template is used without significant changes to the baseline terms.
It is important to note that several factors can increase or decrease the timeframe for moving the agreement through the process. The following sections highlight these factors.
Factors that can speed up the approval process:
- Using the UW’s SRA template as the baseline.
- Having the UW researcher initiate the research compliance review early.
- Ensuring the correct funding category is chosen prior to proposal submission.
- For example, sponsored research, master agreement, strategic agreement, service contract, capstone, in-kind support or gift for research.
Factors that can slow down the approval process:
- Attempting to negotiate terms before the UW researcher has submitted the project proposal for review by OSP. Only OSP can negotiate agreement terms.
- Negotiating terms beyond those in the UW template related to IP, insurance, indemnification, risks and warranty.
- The need for additional compliance reviews – for example, If human or animal subjects are involved or if there are data privacy concerns, export control considerations or potential conflicts of interest.