Become skilled at reviewing, setting up and managing research contracts
Event description
Research contracts – “which are fit for purpose” – are essential to cover all aspects of the relationship in a collaborative project for both those collaborating and also funders (which may or may not be a party to the collaborative partnership). Research contracts between organisations can deliver mutual benefit, enable new outcomes and create considerable benefit for society. There is a requirement for Universities, PSREs – NHS etc., research institutes to put research agreements in place for collaborations – so to be skilled at reviewing, setting up and managing research contracts are key skills to ensure the projects are delivered. Understanding how these agreements work enables such agreements to be put in place more efficiently. However, creating and managing these (sometimes complex) collaborative relationships between organisations can often prove challenging and frustrating.
Details for March 2025
11th - 13th March 2025 (cannot be attended remotely)
- Day 1 - Tuesday 11th March 2025
- Day 2 - Wednesday 12th March 2025
- Day 3 - Thursday 13th March 2025
Venue:
CoventryConferences
The TechnoCentre
Coventry University Technology Park
Puma Way
Coventry
CV1 2TT
United Kingdom
Costs do not include accommodation and travel. PraxisAuril cannot make bookings on behalf of delegates. Once you have made your booking, you will receive your accommodation reference in your confirmation email.
Details for September 2025
16th - 18th September 2025 (cannot be attended remotely)
- Day 1 - Tuesday 16th September 2025
- Day 2 - Wednesday 17th September 2025
- Day 3 - Thursday 18th September 2025
Venue:
Warwick Conferences
University House, Kirby Corner Road
Coventry, West Midlands
CV4 8UW
United Kingdom
Costs do not include accommodation and travel. PraxisAuril cannot make bookings on behalf of delegates. Once you have made your booking, you will receive your accommodation reference in your confirmation email.
Event fee: Non-Members £1680.00 Members £1200.00
Training outcomes
Know how research contracts are structured to ensure that express terms are enforceable (compliant with fundamental requirements of contract law in England and Wales)
Understand the significance of boilerplate terms and how to negotiate changes appropriate to individual research contracts
Discuss how to critically assess instructions received from a researcher and review the proposed deal
Understand if a research contract is compliant with charity law
Know how to review research contracts for errors and omissions
The course also focuses on networking, providing a valuable platform to meet peers, discuss best practice, and interact with the course team and other contributors.
Who should attend?
- Relevant job titles: Business Development professionals, industry liaison, IP Contracts management, people who deal with collaborative research relationships/partnerships
- Relevant sectors/organisations: Higher Education (HE), public sector research organisations, NHS Trusts, R&D support/governance offices, ARMA and ASTP Community, Research Council Funding Bodies, Industry
- Experience needed: None required
- Supporting courses: Essentials of Business Development
- This course will contain; group work, network evenings, and interactive activities
Why should I attend this course?
Research contracts – “which are fit for purpose” – are essential to cover all aspects of the relationship in a collaborative project for both those collaborating and also funders (which may or may not be a party to the collaborative partnership). Research contracts between organisations can deliver mutual benefit, enable new outcomes and create considerable benefit for society.
There is a requirement for Universities, PSREs – NHS etc., research institutes to put research agreements in place for collaborations – so to be skilled at reviewing, setting up and managing research contracts are key skills to ensure the projects are delivered, understanding how these agreements work enable such agreements to be put in place more efficiently. Creating and managing these (sometimes complex) collaborative relationships between organisations can often prove challenging and frustrating.
March 2025 Course Directors
Daniel Blakey
Dan is the Associate Director of Research and Impact Services at the University of Warwick, leading the University’s pre-award team across research development, competitive funding bids, and research contracting. Prior to joining Warwick in June 2023, Dan worked in the University of Oxford’s Research Services office for over 17 years.
During this time he worked across all the University’s Divisions on research contracts with commercial, government, university and charity sectors including partnering with Oxford University Innovation on IP exploitation agreements. He also took an institutional lead on the trusted research agenda including export control and the National Security and Investment Act compliance.
Lizelle Gouverneur
Lizelle is the Head of Business Development at The Pirbright Institute. She manages the Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation team at Pirbright, managing the identification, protection, and exploitation of intellectual property, drafting and negotiating research contracts, and supporting engagement with industrial partners. The KEC team also supports applications for grant funding, manages internal pump-prime seed funds, and commercial activities like consultancy and contract service provision.
Lizelle also manages the Pirbright Training team, which is responsible for developing and delivering training aimed at increasing knowledge and best practice in viral diseases of animals, biosafety practices, and high biocontainment engineering. This team works closely with internal and external subject matter experts to develop high quality content in eLearning, face-to-face, and blended formats to UK and international audiences.
September 2025 Course Directors
Paul Maclennan
Paul Maclennan is a solicitor and a Partner at Anderson Law LLP, a niche firm of commercial/IP solicitors based in Oxfordshire. Paul advises on a wide variety of commercial agreements focussing on transactional work within the IT, life sciences and university sectors. His clients include leading UK universities and an international IT/telecoms company.
Paul is listed in Chambers & Partners as a leading UK lawyer in the field of Intellectual Property and is a contributor to a number of Anderson Law’s publications on intellectual property and commercial law, including Technology Transfer (3rd Ed, Bloomsbury).
David Brownlee
David is the Innovation Advisor for Health and Social Care (HSC) in N. Ireland, where he heads up the HSC Innovations. Over the past 10 years in HSC, he has been responsible for amongst other things; the creation and delivery of the "Supporting Innovation in the HSC “framework project, the roll-out and adoption of the Innovation Policy for HSC, securing funding for and development of the infrastructure of HSC Innovations as a regional service; and managing and commercialising a pipeline of varied technologies in the healthcare arena.
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