Breadcrumb
Partnership Opportunities
Many successful partnerships begin through professional networks, referrals, conferences, publications or online searches for university expertise. At Pacific, we welcome inquiries from organizations, businesses, government agencies, nonprofits and individuals interested in collaborating with our faculty, researchers and students.
Need help getting started?
Contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at osp@pacific.edu. We are happy to discuss your needs, explore potential opportunities for collaboration and connect you with the appropriate Pacific experts and programs.
Partnership Opportunities
Gifts are philanthropic donations to the university and may be broadly directed to support specific programs or projects. Donors may not prescribe specific tasks to be performed, and no significant deliverables may be required, such as functional prototypes or intellectual property. Funds provided as gifts are generally not subject to indirect cost (overhead) charges and do not include provisions related to intellectual property.
If you are interested in making a gift to University of the Pacific, please contact University Development and Alumni Relations.
Grants may prescribe specific work plans while allowing significant flexibility and autonomy to the university. Activities are generally conducted on a best-effort basis. Grant funds are generally subject to indirect cost charges and do not include provisions for intellectual property ownership.
Contracts prescribe specific tasks, deliverables, timelines and performance requirements. Deliverables may include tangible products and intellectual property. Contract funds are subject to indirect cost charges and may include intellectual property licensing terms.
Used to formalize collaborative relationships and frameworks rather than specific funded activities.
May include Vendor Service Agreements, Cooperative Agreements, Consortium Agreements, Master Research Agreements, Data Use Agreements and other partnership mechanisms.
May involve NDAs, Data Protection Agreements, and related security controls for proprietary information.
Projects involving ITAR, EAR and CUI requirements may be conducted under appropriate controls and compliance measures.
Agreement Options
Different types of agreements provide different options regarding the definition of a scope of work, the nature and quality of allowable deliverables, and whether project budgets include indirect costs, compliance and opportunities for partnerships involving the development, application, and commercialization of these works.
Typical agreements and their defining characteristics include:
Organizations can support projects led by Pacific faculty, staff and students through grants, contracts and cooperative agreements. Student-group-led projects provide interdisciplinary, experiential learning opportunities that address real-world challenges while developing leadership, teamwork, communication and project-management skills.
Joint research and development activities may include informal collaborations, shared facilities, organizational teaming arrangements, subcontracting opportunities and collaborative proposals to industry partners, government agencies and foundations.
researchers develop technologies and intellectual property with opportunities for foundational research, joint technology development, licensing, commercialization, venture acceleration and participation in programs such as SBIR/STTR and NSF GOALI & EPIIC.
Career Services work with employers to connect students with internships, cooperative education experiences and other professional opportunities aligned with workforce needs.
Employers may engage through Career Expo, Career Fair, Tiger Treks, Handshake, promotional events and Corporate Affiliates Program activities.
Pacific offers executive education, leadership development, professional workshops and certificate programs through its schools and colleges.
External professionals may contribute as guest speakers, project reviewers, advisory board members, mentors, career advisors and experiential-learning partners.
Intellectual Property
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs coordinates institutional oversight of intellectual property matters related to sponsored research. The university has established intellectual property policies, works closely with the Office of General Counsel and engages outside intellectual property counsel as needed to support patenting, licensing and commercialization activities. The university supports invention disclosure, technology transfer, intellectual property protection and opportunities for industry engagement and commercialization.
