Research partnerships can benefit society, too.

"In the last decade, there has been an explosion in the number of research deals between companies and universities. Companies, which have been reducing their spending on early stage research for three decades, have been increasingly turning to universities to perform that role, seeking access to the best scientific and engineering minds in specific domains. And faced with stingier government support of academic research and calls for them to contribute more to their local economies, universities have been more receptive.

Instead of one-off projects, both sides have become much more interested in forging long-term, collaborative relationships. But both sides face familiar obstacles, especially when it comes to navigating...

Research partnerships can benefit society, too.

"In the last decade, there has been an explosion in the number of research deals between companies and universities. Companies, which have been reducing their spending on early stage research for three decades, have been increasingly turning to universities to perform that role, seeking access to the best scientific and engineering minds in specific domains. And faced with stingier government support of academic research and calls for them to contribute more to their local economies, universities have been more receptive.

Instead of one-off projects, both sides have become much more interested in forging long-term, collaborative relationships. But both sides face familiar obstacles, especially when it comes to navigating non-disclosure agreements and creating a flexible but constructive master research agreement that accounts for potential intellectual property (IP)...