8.4 Contracts: An overview

With the increasing level of external funding, as well as more focus on the benefits of interdisciplinary research and cross-sectorial relations, we are witnessing steady growth in collaborative projects. While this may be beneficial for the success and impact of the research, it also may present some legal challenges that should be sorted out early in the project.

In this section you get an introduction to the issue of contracts, and their relevance to research data management. The next section, which is classified as recommended and not required learning material for the DocEnhance Data Stewardship course, will go deeper into the issue of contracts. There you will learn about the research contract negotiation process and the legal rules relating to enforceable contracts. You will be introduced to legal terminology and better understand contractual obligations, which in turn may help you protect your – or your employer’s – interests in future research contracts.

Transcript of video "Research contracts - an introduction"

After working through this introductory section on research contracts, you should be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of the negotiation process of a research contract.

After working through the optional part in Section 8.5, you should also be able to:

• Define and understand the basic components of a research contract.
• Conduct negotiations that result in good research contracts.
• Identify and explain when different types of contracts should be used.
• Review contract clauses to identify responsibilities and liabilities.
• Apply legal principles when reviewing a contract proposal and drafting new research contracts.
• Analyse, evaluate and change contract clauses in order to minimise risk.
• Explore and reflect upon different research contract standards.