Working with Industry

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus has a long history of cooperation with industry in the support of research that is consonant with UCSD's mission of teaching, research, and public service. Cooperative efforts are encouraged because they produce mutual benefits as well as benefits to society. Industry support is important as it is an essential source of resources and ideas that enable researchers to advance science while also contributing to the education and real-world learning opportunities for students. Also, the University plays a critical role in fueling local and regional economies through the effective transfer of technologies to industry for commercialization.

Receiving financial support for research from industry can be very different from receiving grant support from the federal government or non-profit foundations. Since the primary mission of industry is the commercialization of marketable technologies for financial gain, industry support typically is offered after a particular technology has been partially developed from federal or other organizations which fund basic research and only if the technology is consistent with the current commercial interests of the company. Industry supported research often carries with it the following:

• An expectation of a specific research result
• A specific statement of work for the project
• Frequent interactions between the parties on the research direction
• Monthly or quarterly informal or formal reports on research progress
• Some risk that payment will not be received if company changes research direction, if progress of research is not as anticipated, or if the company encounters financial problems during the period of the project
• Protection from disclosure of company confidential information
• Delay of publication until draft is reviewed by company
• Prompt disclosure of inventions resulting from the research project
• Ownership of data issues
• Expectation that results of research will be confidential

University-industry interactions take a variety of forms, which include the following:

• Gifts and endowments (including endowed chairs) designated for colleges, schools, departments or individuals
• Industrial affiliate and membership programs
• Contracts for specific research projects
• Transfer of biological and other materials for research projects
• Use of unique UCSD equipment and specialized facilities on a fee-for-service basis
• Outside consulting Agreements between companies and UCSD faculty
• Confidentiality agreements for exchange of information in anticipation of funded project

If you already have, or are contemplating developing, a relationship with a company and would like more information on the above types of relationships or on other related areas, you can obtain practical information on University policies, guidelines, practices, forms, etc. by clicking on individual topics on the Resources page.

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