Jennifer Mandina, JD, MS, a Contract Manager in the University at Buffalo’s Technology Transfer Office, will discuss:
- UB SWIFT eligibility: Which projects are and are not prime candidates
- Deep dive into the key terms for UB SWIFT such as:
- Sublicensing
- Royalty rates
- Exclusive vs non-exclusive licenses
- Side by side comparison of traditional terms vs UB SWIFT
- Outlining the benefits and the risks to both universities and industry under UB SWIFT
- How principal investigators, industry and other stakeholders have reacted to UB SWIFT
- Success stories and challenges
As research partnerships between industry and academia become more commonplace, universities are increasingly seeking to respond to their potential partners’ demands for research agreements. If not drafted carefully these intricate agreements can be bulky, prone to amendments, and can bring conflict rather than collaboration. When executed properly and with both industry and university needs met, they results in financial certainty and efficient transactions that can speed research, lead to deeper engagement, and break down barriers to effective and long-lasting partnerships.
Taking cues from the University of Minnesota’s MN-IP program, The University at Buffalo has created UB SWIFT — Sponsorship With Industry Focused Terms — an option to sponsor research at UB through an agreement including preferred licensing terms for IP resulting from the project. The UB SWIFT approach allows both entities to set research and licensing terms at the project planning stage, providing financial certainty for both parties, eliminating ongoing and costly negotiations and drastically reducing transaction time.
Reaction from industry has been overwhelmingly positive, and that’s why we’re sponsoring this valuable program that will dissect the UB Swift model and offer you guidance on how to incorporate their best practices into your future partnership negotiations.
You’ll leave this program with tried and true terms you can begin introducing into your agreements immediately.
