Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

NREL uses a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) when a partner and the lab intend to collaborate on a project. It protects a company's and NREL's existing intellectual property, and allows the company to negotiate for an exclusive field-of-use license to subject inventions that arise during the CRADA's execution.

Types

CRADA types include:

• Shared-Resources
  A joint research project between NREL and a partner to develop, advance, or commercialize an NREL-developed technology without funds changing hands. It must fit within the scope of a project at NREL that's funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

• Funds-In
  Allows for the partner to pay for all or some of NREL's costs under the project. However, NREL does not provide funds to the partner.

More Information

To learn more about the process for establishing a CRADA with NREL, see technology partnership agreements.