Glossary and resources

Useful resources:

We have a Contracts Directory which shows the different types of contract University of Reading uses and the department responsible for each, which includes Legal Services and Procurement. Commonly used documents with Procurement include the Employee Status Questionnaire (used when employing external contractors – n.b. if not on campus you will need to use VPN to access this) and Single Action Waiver form (used when there is only one possible supplier for your purchased goods or services).

Glossary – agreement types

Amendment	Covers the modification of an existing contract by correcting, deleting from, or adding to the original wording
Collaboration Agreement	Covers collaborations (including both projects where funds are paid by one party to another, or where no funds are exchanged) between two or more organisations to deliver a specific project. Often used interchangeably with Consortium Agreement, but can also refer to business to university projects funded by the business partner
Confidentiality/Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA):	Provides for confidentiality between the parties, usually for early stage discussions
Consortium	Governs the conduct of a pre-agreed consortium of organisations working together on a specific project
Consultancy	Covers commercial work carried out by academics or other University staff involving the provision of expertise or transfer of knowledge rather than creation of ‘new’ knowledge
Data license	Covers the use and confidentiality of data coming into the University from elsewhere (licence in) or the transfer of the University's data to another organisation (license out)
Declaration of Honour	A statement of commitment, often used in EU funded projects, which often includes confirmation of adequate operational and/or financial capacity
Grant Agreement	Covers the arrangements between a funder and grant recipient(s)
Letter of Intent	A statement of commitment for parties to work together
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)	See Confidentiality Agreement
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)	Covers the transfer of Materials (see below for definition) from or to the University;
Memorandum of Understanding	Covers how the parties will work together in the future, this is often signed ahead of a main contract and sets out expectations for this in advance;
Studentship	Covers the funding arrangements between the academic organisation and external funders. Can also include other provisions such as the student's conduct while working at the funder's premises, confidentiality and thesis copyright
Student IP Assignment	Commits a student to assign to another organisation (including the University) their rights to any intellectual property created in the course of their studentship. Can include other provisions including confidentiality and thesis copyright
Subcontract	Covers work subcontracted by one party to another to deliver a specific piece of work
Technical Services	Covers technical services provided by one organisation to another on a commercial basis.

Common contract terms

Background IP	Pre-existing intellectual property brought to a project by a party which already owns it or has the right to use it
Contract	An agreement between parties intended to be enforceable by law made up of an offer, an acceptance of the offer and a consideration (a benefit to each party). Each party to a contract gains rights and obligations relative to the rights and obligations of the other party(ies).
Foreground/Arising IP	Intellectual property created as a result of a project or research.
Fully executed	Completed agreement which has been agreed and signed by all parties
Intellectual Property (IP)	The rights to ideas, designs, inventions, literary/artistic works and other forms of intellectual creation including those developed during research.
Materials	Generally be defined as a physical item(s) that would be transferred for the purpose of analysing or having something done to/with it. This can include chemicals and chemical compounds; biological materials (which would include food samples); and human tissues and/or specimens. However, the definition of materials wouldn't include data or documentation.
Negotiation	The process of agreeing the wording and provisions of a contract.
Party	An organisation or person who is part of an agreement and signs to agree with its terms.
Personal Data	Any information which relates to an identified or identifiable living being. Different pieces of information which, when collected together, can lead to the identification of a particular person also constitute personal data. Personal data that has been de-identified, encrypted or pseudonymised, but that can be used to re-identify a person remains personal data. However, personal data that has been irreversibly rendered anonymous in such a way that the individual can no longer be identified is not personal data. The exchange of staff information (e.g. names, email addresses) used for the administration of a project would also not be considered as personal data.