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Companies often approach MGH investigators with an interest in sponsoring the investigators' research and acquiring the rights to commercialize inventions and other intellectual property, such as copyrights, that result from the research the companies sponsor. All such arrangements are handled by CSRL. Investigators should complete and submit to their CSRL case manager the following two documents:
Industry sponsorship can be beneficial in a number of ways. It is not only a source of research funding for the investigator, but also a channel for brining discoveries to the attention and benefit of the public in the form of products or services.
Agreements with industry sponsors must be consistent with the MGH policies regarding protection of academic freedoms, ownership and licensing of patent rights and other intellectual property, and conflicts of interest. In each case, a balance, must be struck between granting the company the rights it reasonably is entitled to expect in return for its funding, and avoiding commitments that might interfere unduly with the ability of the MGH investigators to obtain concurrent or future funding from other sources. In addition, if research results are used to develop and market a product, the company must agree to protect the Hospital against product liability claims relating to use of the product.
CSRL works closely with investigators and industry sponsors to negotiate an agreement tailored to the particular circumstances of each case. To expedite this process, and to avoid misunderstandings, CSRL should be notified as early as possible in discussions with prospective industry sponsors. Since Hospital policy requires the inclusion of certain provisions in most agreements, it usually is best for CSRL to supply the first draft of an agreement for negotiation.
For additional information on the MGH policies and procedures regarding industrial funding of research, contact CSRL.
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