There are various mechanisms and routes that CIU members can use to work with the CIU on R&D projects.

By "mechanism" we mean who does the work and what form the project takes.

By "route" we means how the contract Ts&Cs are processed - and if it is purely research through to purely consultancy.

Please remember that any specific situation or circumstance is always negotiable and we usually find a route of engagement that satisfies all parties with respect to costs and IP.

Any example contracts or Ts&Cs linked to these pages are simply a typical starting point for negotiation.
The best thing to do is contact one of the CIU team in the first instance to discuss your needs.
If necessary this can be done under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

 click here to see an example NDA.

 click here to see an example research / consultancy contract.

Mechanisms

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Summer Student Projects

During the summer vacation, together with industrial partners we select some of the strongest undergraduate students to undertake projects of 8-10 weeks duration, working under a contract to cover foreground and background IP. This typically costs the sponsoring company ~£200 per week, all of which goes to the student for living expenses.

Previous summer projects have in some cases resulted in the develpoment of new products or the generation of scientific results that has been used in technical and sales documentation of CIU members.

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Postgraduate Research Projects

Some companies sponsor PhD or EngD postgraduate research students to work on an area that supports the activities of the company, often developing new products or getting a better understanding of current products or materials. Again, all work is covered by a case-by-case negotiated contract, covering foreground and background IP. There is some expectation that the student will be able to publish some of their research in journals and conferences, but of course without impacting any commercial aspects or IP.

Costs for this option of enagagement can have a significant range, dependent on a number of factors including IP rights, but can start from as little as ~£37k total for a 3.5 year industry-university sponsored PhD, or even potentially lower where a company has access to EPSRC iCASE funding.

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Short Term Postdoctoral Research Contracts

We have access to postdoctoral research assistants who are able to work on short term research projects for periods of between 2 weeks to 4 months, typically. The cost for this support is calcualted by the University based on state guidelines for University funded research and the cost is in the region of a few thousand pounds per month. The exact figure depends on the nature of the project, the range of resources that are involved and the IP arrangement. The exact conditions for this are best discussed with the CIU in the first instance.

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Longer Term Research Projects

We have a track record of working with industry collaborators to secure large scale research projects, funded by various sources including the UK science funding agencies, the EU R&D funding schemes, Innovate UK and others. When we work with partners in this way, we will typically take a significant amount of the workload in writing the proposal and even in managing the project if successful. Recent examples include the SACUT EU project, worth approximatelty £1.2M and a £1.2M EPSRC 5 year project for high frequency flexural transducers for use in gas or liquid.