Research results

Your work on a project will unarguably generate some kind of result. What aspects would you like to apply to these results?

For commissioned research, it is not uncommon that the results are the property of the sponsor. It should be pointed out that only in cases of commissioned research, i.e. research with a 100 % funding, does the university accept that the results are automatically turned over to the financier. Sometimes this entails a certain amount of personal compensation to the researcher that has generated the result.

For research cooperation’s, the results normally accrue to the person or party that has generated the result. Sometimes it isn’t possible to determine a single member of the project as the originator. If nothing else has been stipulated in the contract, the project originators of the result then own the results together, through joint ownership. It is highly recommended that conditions for joint ownership are regulated in the initial project agreement, to avoid lock-in effects of the results and conflicts between the joint owners. One such regulation should, for instance, address the issue of whether it will be possible for a joint owner to patent and/or license or commercialize the results without the consent of the other owners.

Under all circumstances, the university reserves the right to use research results for future research and tuition at the university (so-called research license). It is important that the research license be written into the agreement so that future basic research at the university does not bring with it any charges.

Give some thought to what you feel should apply to the results of your research. Who owns them and how should others be allowed to use them? Make sure you can legally continue to research with the knowledge you acquired through the project.