Partnership Vehicles
There are a variety of ways to partner with Berkeley Lab using strategic partnership agreements.
See Comparison Chart of Agreement Types
For questions about the correct contract type for your project, contact the Contracts Officer assigned to your Area / Division for your specific project.
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS (CRADA)
CRADA Agreements enable collaborative research by LBNL and one or more partners for shared benefit. Partners can retain rights to their own inventions made under a CRADA and have the first right to license Lab intellectual property generated through the CRADA. All CRADAs must have in-kind support from the Partner, even when the project is being paid for solely with Partner funds. In-kind refers to non-cash contribution of labor, property, or services provided by a Participant in support of the CRADA effort. In-kind contributions include personnel, personal property (equipment and supplies) and capital equipment.
Sample CRADA Agreement | Sample CRADA SOW
CRADA Contact: Todd Pray
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP PROJECT AGREEMENTS (SPP)
SPP Agreements enable LBNL personnel to perform a defined scope of work funded by and on behalf of a non-DOE entity using LBNL’s unique facilities, equipment, and personnel. In addition to industry and academic partnerships, this includes Inter-Agency (IA) agreements; Military Interdepartmental Purchase Requests (MIPR); and DOE Management & Operations (M&O) agreements such as Memorandum Purchase Orders (MPO) and Inter-Entity Work Orders (IEWO).
Sample SPP Agreement | Sample SPP SOW
SPP Contact: Todd Pray
USER AGREEMENTS
User Agreements facilitate access to LBNL’s one-of-a-kind research facilities including the DOE National User Facilities at the Lab: Advanced Light Source, Joint Genome Institute, Molecular Foundry, NERSC – the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, and ESNet – Energy Services Network.
- Non-Proprietary: DOE funds Berkeley Lab’s work under a Non-Proprietary User Agreement and Berkeley Lab staff may participate in the research.
- Proprietary: Berkeley Lab staff does not participate in the research work under a Proprietary User Agreement, but the partner will be required to fund staff time to set up and oversee the project.
User Agreement Contact: Chevon LeDree | Phone: 510.495.2022
Contractor Supported Research (CSR)
Gifts of money or equipment that support the scientific mission of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory may be accepted with proper review and approval. For specific procedures, see Donor Instructions and Monetary Gift Procedural Requirements.
Note that gifts are distinctly different from collaboration agreements such as SPPs and CRADAs. For example, a gift imposes no contractual requirements and is given irrevocably. See Gifts vs. Strategic Partnerships for a complete list of distinguishing features. To read the lab’s complete gift policy, outlining all steps to be completed before a gift is approved, go here.
Gifts Contact: gifts@lbl.gov
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Other opportunities such as DOE’s Small Business Voucher program and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are announced throughout the year.
Step-by-Step Process
- Discuss Project
Berkeley Lab researcher and potential partner discuss the proposed project. - Develop SOW
Partner and Berkeley Lab work together to develop a statement of work which includes project scope, costs, deliverables, and schedule. - Verify Feasibility
Berkeley Lab determines whether a proposed project meets the Lab’s qualifications for a strategic partnership agreement, and the appropriate contractual vehicle to use. - Draft Agreement
Berkeley Lab proposes a draft agreement that includes terms and conditions to the partner for review. - Execute Agreement
Once a final version is achieved, the agreement is signed by appropriate parties. - Start Work
Upon execution of the agreement, the partner sends funds to Berkeley Lab. Work may only begin after the funds are authorized by the Lab.
