Guidelines for Specialized Service Agreement Activities

Specialized Services do not involve an expenditure of “intellectual capital”. Therefore such efforts will not have any research component. Services may be made available on a limited, noncommercial, individual project basis. Projects must be of mutual interest and benefit to the University and Sponsor and further the education and/or public service missions of the University. Projects will not involve routine, commercially available services.

The “Specialized Services Agreement” contractual template was developed by the Office of Sponsored Projects and University legal counsel for use by University departments in providing such services. Specifically, the Specialized Services Agreement will be used for projects that involve only testing, measurement, or composition analysis applied to a Sponsor’s materials in accordance with a written protocol provided by the client.

The results of tests, measurements, and analysis applied to the Sponsor’s materials will be presented in a written report to the Sponsor. No additional investigation into the nature of, or explanations for, the results obtained is covered or permitted under the Specialized Service Agreement. Any further inquiry must be performed under a separate agreement for research processed in accordance with University policy.

Intellectual Property

The Sponsor will own any test results or data generated in the performance of the project. The University will retain a non-exclusive, royalty free, non-transferable license to use the data or test results for its own internal educational purposes.

Conflict of Interest

Any university employee who: 1) supervises staff and/or students; 2) determines use rates; or 3) administers contracts involving the facility performing the services, will not work as a consultant for the same Sponsor during the term of any Specialized Services Agreement or for the purpose of creating the Sponsor’s protocol or interpreting or analyzing the data delivered without an approved conflict of interest management plan.

Mitigation of such situations shall be handled under the university’s conflict of interest policy and with the use of an appropriate management plan developed by the individual and approved by the department head and dean of the college.

Safety

All work will be done by trained university personnel and not by the client. The client may be present and observe and supervise the testing when necessary. Under no circumstances shall the client’s personnel be involved in running any equipment.

While on premises, both the client and client’s personnel shall cooperate and adhere to university safety practices, including the wearing of personal protective equipment where required.