Main Content

Framework conditions for business and research collaborations

Contract preparation and negoatiations

The Technology Transfer Department will be your first point of contact and central actor in all contractual negotiations for collaborative ventures with external partners in research and knowledge transfer. Not only do we draw up contracts and review draft contracts with all those partners involved, we also represent the University throughout the contract negotiations. Obviously, however, we also coordinate with the project managers on a regular basis or, where required, conduct appropriate negotiations jointly with you.

Signing Authority

Marburg University is a public body and state institution, officially represented by its President. Consequently, any individual member of the University cannot conclude research contracts with third parties on their own; the legally binding power to sign a contract is exclusively vested in its President, or a person explicitly authorised by him/her for this specific purpose. Given that the project managers are involved in drafting any agreements and are responsible for implementing the actual content of the project, they usually sign the contract in addition to the President (but their signatures are not binding).

Financial Planning and Costings

Please bear in mind that all forms of cooperation with external partners are subject to personnel, budgetary, fiscal, and EU state aid regulations and that the necessary demarcation line between these various options can often prove to be challenging. These pre-requisites are non-negotiable on account of legal requirements, and, in some cases, a cost calculation on a full cost basis is mandatory. Provisional preliminary statements to potential partners on the expected financial needs are therefore to be avoided until the final cost calculation has been approved by the Technology Transfer Department.

Confidentiality and Material Transfer

A non-disclosure agreement, or a material transfer agreement, must be concluded in advance of any research results, valuable know-how, materials or the like being shared with any third parties within the framework of a project planning or made available to them. Please contact the Technology Transfer Department for more detailed information. 

Project Results

Contractual arrangements must be drawn up in such a way that ensure the free use of research results and associated property rights for Marburg University’s own scientific goals, and for all the project’s participants for research and teaching purposes. The possibilities for use to which the contractual partner is entitled will depend upon the type of collaboration envisaged and needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Financial Project Management

Any revenues derived from and all financial obligations related to a project with third parties are exclusively handled via an allocated fund at Marburg University. Following the conclusion of the project contract, the project documents are to be forwarded to the third-party fund administrators (Dez. V and the Dean’s Office in the Faculty of Medicine), who, in turn, will set up the required fund and provide the project management and the responsible business administration further information regarding financial oversight, the project management and its implementation.