About the Industrial Contracts Office

The Industrial Contracts Office (ICO) is a unit within the Office of Technology Licensing, Stanford's technology transfer office. ICO is responsible for reviewing, negotiating and signing research-related agreements on behalf of Stanford with industry and some non-profit collaborators. ICO Contract Officers have authority to sign agreements on behalf of Stanford University and ensure that all agreements are in compliance with Stanford policy, sound business practice, and legal requirements.

ICO handles the following types of agreements:

Sponsored Research Agreements (SRAs) with industry sponsors, ranging from multi-year master agreements used by multiple investigators across campus to individual project agreements, with both large and small companies.
Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) with all types of entities, including companies, government agencies and non-profits.
Collaboration Agreements with industry collaborators or multiple parties.
Data Use Agreements (DUAs) with industry collaborators.
Equipment Loan Agreements with industry collaborators.
Industrial Affiliate Program Agreements with industry, government and non-profit entities.
Other Research-Related Agreements with industry collaborators required for use in existing projects.

ICO works closely with research and administrative offices throughout Stanford to ensure compliance with Stanford policy and regulatory concerns. ICO also provides advice and guidance to other Stanford offices on intellectual property terms and related policies.

ICO enables Stanford research by negotiating mutually beneficial agreements with external collaborators that preserve academic freedom and scientific integrity. We ensure that resulting Stanford technology can be developed to its full potential to serve the public interest.