Industry Sponsored Research

At UC Davis, industry-sponsored research is a critical driver of global innovation, leveraging world-class expertise and facilities to solve complex challenges in agriculture, human and animal health, and technology. Partnerships are primarily managed through the Office of Foundation and Corporate Engagement (FCE), which acts as a “one-stop shop” for companies looking to connect with faculty expertise, student talent, and state-of-the-art research resources.

Collaboration Opportunities

    • Sponsored Research: Companies can fund specific projects led by a UC Davis Principal Investigator (PI) to develop new technologies, with options to license resulting intellectual property.
    • Clinical Trials: Industry partners often collaborate with UC Davis Health to conduct trials for sponsor-owned drugs or devices.
    • Technical Services: Businesses can access unique campus infrastructure and expertise through fee-for-service activities.
    • Technology Licensing: The Technology Transfer Office manages over 15,000 active patents, offering industry partners access to ready-for-market innovations.

Operational & Support Services

  • Streamlined Agreements: The Research and Industry Sponsored Agreements (RAISA) unit handles the negotiation of industry sponsored research contracts, material transfer agreements (MTAs), data transfer agreements (DTAs) and confidentiality agreements (CDAs/NDAs) to ensure rapid project initiation.
  • Ethical Compliance: The university maintains strict standards for financial conflict of interest (COI) and human/animal subject protection to ensure research integrity.

Types of Agreements

    1. Industry Sponsored Research Agreements (ISRAs): Contracts for research conducted at UC Davis and funded by a company, covering scope, budget, and IP rights.
    2. Confidentiality Agreements (CDAs/NDAs): Necessary precursors to research discussions to protect proprietary information from both parties.
    3. Material/Data Transfer Agreements (MTAs/DTAs): Cover the transfer of proprietary tangible research materials or data between entities while preserving ownership rights.
    4. Investigator Initiated Clinical Trial Agreements: Facilitate the testing of industry-owned drugs or devices using the university’s human subject patient base.
    5. Service Agreements: Used when the university provides specific technical services to outside entities on a “no-profit/no-loss” basis.