The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) General Intellectual Property Considerations and Guidelines for Collaboration

Abstract

These guidelines from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) provide a framework for managing intellectual property in a way that fosters collaboration and ensures that research outputs are both beneficial to society and commercially viable. The guidelines stress the importance of reaching agreements on IP ownership, licensing, and usage at the outset of collaborations. This ensures transparency and mitigates potential conflicts between academic researchers and private-sector partners. Publicly funded data is encouraged to be shared openly unless it infringes on proprietary rights, confidentiality, or other legitimate interests of private-sector collaborators.

Private-sector partners retain the ability to protect innovations and commercially sensitive data derived from their contributions, ensuring continued incentive for participation in public-private partnerships.

The guidelines allow tailored agreements that suit the specific needs of the project, enabling openness while addressing legal and competitive constraints.

Overview

Country	Canada
Start date	2009
Annual Budget	n/a
Responsible organisation(s)	Funding institution
Target group(s)	Researchers, academic institutions, and industry partners
Policy instrument type	Guidelines for indusrtial partners in research collaborations with academic partners

Background

The NSERC Guidelines on Intellectual Property and Public-Private Partnerships were first published in 2009. They were developed to provide a framework for managing intellectual property in collaborative research, particularly in partnerships involving academic institutions and private-sector partners.

The guidelines have since been referenced and updated to align with evolving practices in open science and public-private partnerships, ensuring continued relevance and adaptability to current research and innovation landscapes.

Objective(s)

To balance the openness of publicly funded research data with the protection of legal rights and legitimate interests of all stakeholders, including private-sector partners.

Public access URL

https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/policies-politiques/ip_Guidelines-pi_Directrices_eng.asp

All tags

• Teachers
• Funding institution
• Established researchers
• Canada
• Students
• Research support staff
• Junior researchers
• 2009
• Higher education institutes
• Responsibility, Ownership & Stewardship
• Strategies, agendas and plans
• Firms
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Public research institutes

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