Forms and Templates

Pre-Award

Non-Disclosure, Confidential Disclosure and Materials Transfer Agreements

Companies often like to have a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) in place ahead of detailed discussions about a project opportunity. It is often advisable to conduct an initial meeting or two with the company before starting work on an NDA in order to assess whether the company’s interests are a good fit for a project in your lab and that the company can work with WWU policies on publications and intellectual property.  Note that entering into an NDA carries certain risks, including the risk of “intellectual property contamination,” where you learn something from the company that intersects with something you were thinking of doing but haven’t yet documented. In such a case, the NDA could prevent you from exploring a new research area for several years.

If you are presented with an NDA or CDA, do not sign it yourself. Instead contact RSP, which will review and execute the agreement on your behalf.  Although Western routinely completes such agreements with companies, only certain people at the university are authorized to sign them.

Export Control