Contracting Cone

DoD has several agreement strategy options for partnering with other federal agencies, state and local governments, academia, industry, and nonprofit organizations to collaboratively mature technologies, develop solutions, demonstrate capabilities, and accelerate technology transfer. These agreement strategies can provide flexible approaches to collaboration, including tailored intellectual property provisions to share, protect, license, or commercialize IP rights.

The primary R&D agreement strategies include:

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) — 15 U.S.C. § 3710a
Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) — 15 U.S.C. § 3715
Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) — 32 C.F.R. Part 37

CRADAs allow federal laboratories to collaborate with non-federal parties on specified research or development efforts consistent with the laboratory’s mission; the Government may provide personnel, services, facilities, equipment, IP, or other resources, but not funds to the non-federal party under the CRADA authority.

TIAs are covered by 32 C.F.R. Part 37, which establishes uniform policies and procedures for DoD Components’ award and administration of technology investment agreements.