Award Negotiation

The Office of Research Administration is the office authorized by the Chancellor to negotiate and enter into any contract or grant agreement with a sponsoring agency on the behalf of the University. This includes all terms and conditions of the agreement. Such negotiations are conducted in consultation with the project director, legal counsel, and finance office within the University as needed on a given agreement. As noted above, discussions between sponsor representatives and faculty or staff are preliminary only. It is necessary that ORA review any proposed agreement on behalf of the University, and either endorse it as conforming to University policies or negotiate necessary modifications. The ORA is responsible for ensuring that all terms and conditions of awards meet Sate and Federal guidelines.  When negotiations are completed, the agreement can be signed by the appropriate authorized University official.

Items to be considered in any contract or award include: what kind of patent protection is there; will proprietary information be disclosed; have all the necessary approvals been gathered related to human subjects research, animal care and use, use of hazardous materials; have all the subcontracting agency budgets been reviewed and approved and subcontracts signed; are the start and end dates consistent with the project investigator's needs and the funding agency's requirements; how will payment be made; does the project require a materials transfer agreement, a confidentiality clause or other special conditions. These items need to be reviewed prior to the signing of any contract and may require negotiation of terms prior to acceptance of the agreement.

 Last Updated On: 6/9/06