The Intellectual Property and Strategic Agreements team handles all intellectual property issues, including invention disclosures and agreements with collaborators.
We work closely with the Partnership Development Office to negotiate collaborative research agreements. The office prepares agreements and negotiates with outside collaborators regarding:
- Confidentiality
- Material transfer
- Collaboration
- Licensing
- Beta testing
- Evaluation
We also coordinate proposal submissions that are part of larger proposal packages with collaborators at other institutions.
The office handles all employee invention reports, reviews and assessments for patentability, and patent filings for Frederick National Laboratory inventions. We also negotiate publishing agreements for books and oversee requests to publish contract data in books.
What are strategic agreements?
Strategic agreements are formal written agreements between the Frederick National Laboratory and third-party entities (i.e. academic, nonprofit, or industry) that involve a collaboration or potential collaboration or the exchange of materials or data, including:
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure
- Material transfer (incoming and outgoing)
- Research collaboration
- Collaborative (MOUs, etc.)
- Beta testing and evaluation
- Contractor collaborative research and development (cCRADAs)
- Materials collaborative research and development (MCRADAs)
- Licensing
Forming strategic agreements
We assist in preparing, reviewing, or negotiating confidentiality and material transfer agreements. However, many collaborative agreements require government approval confirming that the government program is supportive of the collaboration, its alignment with the mission, and the use of resources for the collaboration. This requires early agreement with and support from the government lead program representative. Our team, working with the Partnership Development Office, helps start the process of obtaining this approval and negotiating the agreement.
Data publishing agreements
Researchers are often asked to publish their work in a book or as a part of a book chapter. While data dissemination is encouraged under the Frederick National Laboratory’s government contract, publication of data developed under the contract requires prior government approval.
Reach out to our office for support in obtaining government approval and negotiating the agreement with the publishers. The potential author is encouraged to reach out early to obtain information about the process and to outline what government data and resources will be used in preparing the publication.
Publications in peer-reviewed scientific and technical journals do not require government contracting officer approval but must follow internal publication review requirements.
Submitting employee invention reports
Researchers are required under the Frederick National Laboratory’s government contract to submit employee invention reports for new inventions conceived and/or reduced to practice under the contract. Our staff can assist in completing the report form and submitting it to the National Cancer Institute. In addition, our team will work with the inventor to determine if the potential invention is patentable and evaluate any prior publications related to the invention.
