Researcher's Guide to Industry Partnerships

The Partnerships team presents on the process for engaging with an industry partner, including models for engagement, types of research agreements, and applicable University of Toronto (U of T) policies. The role of the different teams within the Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) and the resources available to researchers and their teams in establishing partnerships are also discussed.
 

Learning Outcomes

1. Introduction to the different teams in IPO, and explanation of the services provided by the Partnerships team.
2. Understand the resources available at U of T for researchers and their teams seeking to partner with industry.
3. Learn about the programs and agreements the Partnerships team manages, focusing on the programs and agreements related to private sector engagements.
    

Key Takeaways

1. The Researcher’s Guide to Industry Partnerships covers the essential elements of sponsored research partnerships at U of T and provides information on some common questions regarding the development of a partnership with an industry sponsor. It also identifies the internal U of T resources available to help researchers successfully navigate and manage such partnerships. It is available for download on the VPRI website.
2. Engagements between U of T and an industry partner may provide access to funding opportunities through grants or other programs that help support the costs of a research project. For instance, a company’s contributions can be leveraged with government funding programs, including: Alliance program with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); Ontario Research Fund: Research Excellence with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU); Mitacs; Sustainable Development Technology Canada; Genome Canada; Ontario Centre of Innovation and many more.
3. For all industry research projects, the IPO manages the negotiation and execution of partnering agreements and facilitates access to the funds for the research. Sponsored Research Agreements (SRA) govern funded research partnerships between the university and sponsor. These agreements include the contractual rights and obligations of the parties and the project-specific details.