Published on March 4, 2026
| LEGAL |
Research collaboration or service mandate agreements
Before concluding any collaboration agreement related to research or service mandates, you must contact the competent services of the University. Below you will find the required procedure, the list of the competent services, as well as an outline of the most common risks. Do not enter into any agreement without going through our services; the risks for both yourself and the institution are too great.
The Rectorate wishes to remind you of the importance of the rules and recommendations set out in the Directive on concluding collaborative research agreements and service mandates, whose respect is a guarantee of security for both the University and the researchers.
We remind you that “collaborative research agreements” means any agreement between the University and a third party, where the third party and the University boast expertise in identical, similar or complementary fields, and agree to pool these skills within the framework of a research project. “Service mandates” means any agreement involving a project carried out exclusively or mainly in the interests of the third party. The University's expertise or scientific infrastructure is harnessed, and the third party requests a defined service, particularly in terms of research or teaching (examples: expert assessments, advice, tests, measurements or analyses).
Prior to the conclusion of any collaborative research agreement and service mandate, you shall contact:
- The Research and Grants Office when the agreement is related to a research program (SNSF, European framework programs for research, other European and international research programs).
If the agreement is not related to a research program as mentioned above:
- UNITEC in all agreements with a private partner; and
- The Legal Affairs Department for all agreements with a public partner (State Departments, Universities and/or any public entity, etc.).
The University of Geneva guarantees transparency in collaboration agreements and has committed itself to strengthening ethical and deontological oversight in the field of research.
To meet this requirement, a Statement of ethical risk has been developed. We kindly request that this form be duly completed and submitted to the Research and Grants Office, the Legal Affairs Department or UNITEC (should this not be done, you will be required to provide it).
The conclusion of a contract on behalf of the University entails not only the agreement of the parties on the services performed and the financing thereof, but also several reciprocal commitments, especially with regard to intellectual property, confidentiality, the responsibility of each party as well as the modalities of a possible continuation of the collaboration.
These clauses are not insignificant, and their neglect might deprive both the University and its collaborators of essential [legal] protections. For example, the omission of clauses dealing with intellectual property and the right to use and publish results, or the acceptance of inappropriate clauses, might deprive them of the opportunity to subsequently dispose of the fruits of their work. Failure to comply with the above-mentioned directive, which is a source of risk for the University, may result in damage that may engage the liability of researchers.
This collaboration between the researchers and the appropriate department provides a greater degree of security and comfort in the contractual relationship, accelerates the signing process and, where applicable, propose solutions that take into account the interests of all the parties involved.