Agreements

A research agreement describes the project, how it is to be carried out, and how results are to be managed. As the project leader, you know the project best and can assess whether the agreement describes it correctly.

Legal counsels can help you understand and assess contractual terms concerning publication, intellectual property (research results), confidentiality, liability and dispute resolution—if you need it.

Our support is voluntary and can be used to help you decide how to proceed in your contacts with the counterparty. We do not approve agreements; this is done by the person who signs the agreement (see below under “Who should sign”).
 

As project leader, you know the project best. You must assess how the agreement describes the project’s content and scope, as well as the project organisation. You must also assess the project’s budget and funding, staffing, and access to premises and equipment.

Administrative management of the research agreement is handled by you or by the administrative support available at your department or faculty. This includes, for example, communication with contractual parties, securing funding, registration, compiling appendices, signing (see below under “Who should sign”), and dispatching the completed agreement.
 

When you participate in a research project, you and your head of department must sign the “Conditions for participation”. This applies to all LU employees involved in the project. By signing, you confirm that you have read the research agreement and accepted the terms that apply to you personally, for example regarding research results, publication and confidentiality. Please click here for Conditions for Participation (Word, 18 kB, opens in a new window). Or here for an Swedish version (Word, 33 kB, opens in a new window).

As a researcher, you do not sign the research agreement itself. Refer to the guidelines to see who is authorised to sign research agreements. Click here to reach Guidelines on the Allocation of Decision-Making Powers within the University Administration at Lund University.

Both the conditions for participation and the research agreement must then be registered at the department.

Do you and your research group need training on what a research agreement entails, the most common contents of an agreement, and the risks you should be aware of? Feel free to contact us.

For assistance in the areas below, click and follow the respective links.
•    Questions about secondary employment – contact your local HR function.
•    Questions about commercialisation of research results – contact LU Innovation. Innovation at Lund University | Innovation at Lund University
•    Questions about procurement – contact Procurement. Purchasing and procurement | Staff Pages
•    Questions about the use of premises and other resources – contact LU Buildings. Lokalsamordning | Medarbetarwebben
•    Questions about personal data and data protection – contact the data protection function at dataskyddsombud [at] lu [dot] se (dataskyddsombud[at]lu[dot]se). 
•    Questions about research data management – contact the Research Data Unit. Enheten för forskningsdata | Medarbetarwebben
•    Questions about export control and the FDI Act - contact Security at Export control | Staff Pages
•    Questions about international collaborations and globally responsible engagement – contact the Global Engagement section. Global Responsible Engagement | Staff Pages