Research Related Agreements
What are Research Related Agreements?
A Research Related Agreement (RRA) is a contract between Stanford University and one or more non-Stanford entities that governs the execution of a non-sponsored research project or a series of non-sponsored research activities. This category includes collaboration agreements, consortium agreements, material transfer agreements (MTAs), $0 Intergovernmental Personnel Acts (IPAs), and non-sponsored subawards, while sponsored research agreements are not considered RRAs.
Among the various types of RRAs, Data Use Agreements (DUAs) are among the most commonly encountered.
How are Research Related Agreements different from Sponsored Projects?
Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA): An SRA is a formal agreement—such as a grant, contract, subcontract, or subaward—between Stanford University and an external organization (e.g., federal, state, or private agency, referred to as the “Sponsor”). This agreement outlines the funding provided by the Sponsor for the completion of a specified statement of work (SOW).
In addition to delineating the rights and obligations related to the SOW, an SRA establishes financial accountability and reporting requirements for the project's execution, as well as the delivery of tangible or intangible outcomes at the conclusion of the sponsored project.
Research Related Agreement (RRA): An RRA is a written agreement between Stanford and one or more external organizations that specifies the conduct of a designated SOW and any related research activities. It includes reporting requirements and outlines the delivery of tangible or intangible outcomes. Unlike SRAs, RRAs are not funded by an external Sponsor.
How do I request a Research Related Agreement?
In February 2023, the SeRA RRA Request Form was launched as a streamlined single point of intake for Research Related Agreements. This process spans all three contract offices: the Office of Research Administration, the Industrial Contracts Office, and the Clinical Trials team in the Research Management Group.
The SeRA RRA Request Form includes conditional features that display only the relevant questions based on the specific type of agreement being requested. This design aims to collect the required PI certification and essential information upfront to expedite the drafting, review, negotiation and execution process for agreements.
There are two ways to request a Research Related Agreement (RRA):
- For data use agreements only: Submit the following documents along with the name of the Principal Investigator (PI) to ORA at osr_intake@stanford.edu and we will use the information to create the RRA record in SeRA. A RRA Request will be routed to the PI to complete the PI certification.
- Draft agreement
- Scope of work
- List of data elements or data dictionary
- For all other research related agreements, or if you prefer to submit your own SeRA request for a DUA:
How do I modify an existing Research Related Agreement?
Need further assistance? Please direct inquiries to osr_intake@stanford.edu