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Commercial contracts and costing

It is important to contact the JRMO as soon as possible about any work that might be carried out on behalf of, or in collaboration with a commercial sponsor.

School of Medicine and Dentistry
Please contact in the first instance: Gerry Collins, Costings & Contracts Officer, tel 020 7882 7273 or email g.collins@qmul.ac.uk.

The Trust
Please contact in the first instance: Phillip Good, Senior Finance Administrator, tel 020 7882 7259 or email phillip.good@bartshealth.nhs.uk.

If the above are not available, please contact: Coleen Colechin, Operational Manager, tel 020 7882 7252 or email c.g.colechin@qmul.ac.uk.

In order to set contractual terms and an appropriate price for a commercial research project it is first necessary to fully cost the project. The costing process can involve the following stages:

• Informing the JRMO about whom the client is, and providing details of the project, for example a copy of the study protocol.
• Outlining the scope of the work in terms of time and effort, and of the resources that will be required.
• Drawing up an outline resource sheet.
• Costing it and obtaining quotes from the various service departments, eg Pharmacy, Pathology, Imaging, Cardiology, as appropriate.
• Discussing what Intellectual Property might arise from the project, what royalties might be gained etc.
• Producing a final costing that is acceptable to the PI and the JRMO.
• Negotiating the contractual terms, including price, with the sponsor and producing a final contract for signature.

Financial negotiations should not be entered into without the knowledge of the office, although scoping exercises may be. All contracts must be authorised by:

Head of Research Resources – Gerry Leonard

This prevents individual staff from 'signing off' contracts without seeking expert advice. Contracts are between the Sponsor and Trust or the College only, it is not acceptable or allowable for contracts to be authorised by individual staff members.

For  further in-depth explanations on commercially funded projects, and other issues such as protecting Intellectual Property Rights, please download the document below produced by the Joint R&D Office.

Download Commercial costings.