Any kind of research collaboration, including confidential discussions with another party, exchange of materials, or any other research related activity, may require a contract to be put in place before the collaboration begins.
All negotiations with a funder or another party should be managed and coordinated by the Commercialisation Manager (Dr Paul Williams, 020 8331 8244), who is the main point of contact for matters relating to the contract.
Discussion between the Principal Investigator and Contract Negotiators regarding the risks and benefits associated with the activity is essential at an early stage to help expedite the process and bring swifter agreement. Delays most often occur when insufficient information is gathered and there is a poor understanding of what each party to the contract is trying to achieve.
As part of the new RADAR process, Principal Investigators will need to complete Stage 1 & Stage 2, prior to submitting contracts through RADAR.