Advancing University-Industry Research Collaboration and Technology Commercialization
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s NICE industry-sponsored research terms provide clear, flexible options for companies to conduct collaborative R&D with the university. The terms feature minimal downstream financial obligations, elimination of licensing and royalty negotiations, and control of the patent process for sponsors that choose an exclusive license. Sponsors who prefer to wait until after project intellectual property is developed to negotiate a license agreement can utilize the university’s Standard Industry Sponsored Research Terms.
NICE Terms and Exclusive License
Sponsor Benefits:
- Exclusive, worldwide rights to the IP created through the conduct of the sponsored project
- No time spent on license agreement negotiation
- No royalties on the first $20 million in annual net sales of licensed products or services
- A pre-defined, 1% royalty after licensed product or service annual net sales exceed $20 million
- Ability to control patent filings
- Capped royalty payments on inventions that improve sponsor’s pre-existing product or process
Associated Fees:
- A non-refundable, up-front fee that is the greater of ten percent (10%) of the total research project budget or $15,000; and
- Any costs associated with filing, prosecuting, and maintaining patent applications
Upon creation of IP, sponsor will sign a standard license agreement with NUtech Ventures, UNL’s technology transfer office, to formalize the NICE terms.
Standard Industry Sponsored Research Terms
- No license fees due upon execution of the sponsored research agreement
- A four-month option starting when project IP is disclosed to:
- obtain a paid-up non-exclusive license with payment of patent costs; and
- negotiate a royalty-bearing, exclusive license with commercially reasonable financial terms
To discuss research, technology development, product testing or validation study collaborations involving your company and UNL, or for more information about the NICE terms and program, contact the Industry Relations team.
Industry Relations can also support initiation and execution of additional collaboration-enabling agreements that protect confidential, proprietary and business-sensitive information; govern dataset access and usage; and allow transfer and use of company and university-owned materials.
