Initiate a Partnership Project

To begin the partnership process, the partner must have an identified contact at SLAC. For partners who do not have an identified contact, please provide a brief description of the intended research to our Research Partnerships team.

Once an initial scope of work has been established and agreed upon between the partner and the contact, both entities will begin collaboration on a Statement of Work (SOW), which is necessary for all contract types and proposals. An SOW must contain, at a minimum, a technical narrative of work being completed, budget estimate, key contacts, milestones, period of performance, and any reporting requirements or expected deliverables. An SOW can also help SLAC determine the optimal agreement type for the project.

The SLAC contact will then engage with SLAC's legal and business support offices in order to develop the contract that will govern the partnership. The partner and contact, with guidance from SLAC's legal team, will together determine the appropriate partnership type for the project.

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)

A CRADA is a collaborative research agreement between SLAC and public and/or private entities for the mutual benefit of the parties.

Partners must provide research funds or in-kind contributions which may include personnel, services, facilities, equipment, intellectual property or other resources.

A CRADA permits a partner to retain their own intellectual property and to access intellectual property developed in the collaboration.

Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP)

An SPP, formerly know as a Work For Others (WFO) Agreement, is a  research service contract that enables entities to pay SLAC to perform a defined scope of work or tasks that draws upon the expertise of SLAC.

Work performed by SLAC is fully funded by the non-DOE entity. An SPP permits a domestic partner to retain right of first refusal to patent resulting R&D and to retain intellectual property generated from the project, except for government use.

Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR)

The SBIR and STTR programs are sponsored by the U.S. Government to provide small businesses competitive grants and contracts to perform Research & Development and support resulting commercialization.

The small business must meet certain criteria to compete. SLAC has partnered with a number of small businesses to support their Research & Development goals and to assist in technology commercialization. Please see the following link for more information, and to see if your small business is eligible to apply:

https://www.sbir.gov/

DOE SBIR/STTR

Once a technical scope of work / statement of work has been mutually agreed upon, SLAC will match the effort to either the CRADA or SPP template.  SLAC will share this template with the partner and prepare budget and payment schedule, the process for initiating the work at SLAC proceeds as follows:

1. Partner reviews and clears standard agreement with the final statement of work. SLAC provides agreement package to the DOE Site Office for review and clearance.

2. SLAC sends the contract to the partner for signature. SLAC then countersigns.

3. SLAC initiates an invoice based on  the required advance payment terms. 

4. Once funds have been received, SLAC processes funds per the DOE Management & Operating (M&O) contract, and establishes project account once funding is formally added.

5. SLAC begins work.