Susan:

In my ten+ years as a Director of Sponsored Programs at Purdue University (now
happily retired but still "lurking" on the RESADM-List), it was my experience
that it ALWAYS took longer than the PI anticipated/expected/desired and,
usually longer than it SHOULD have mostly due to lack of timely responses from
the Sponsor or it's lawyers !

Indeed, there is NO simple answer to this question.  I've seen it take as short
as two weeks ( extremely rare! ) to two years ( also rare, fortunately ).  On
occasion, we simply had to turn down a grant/contract because both sides could
not agree on either Intellectual Property ownership or Publication rights or
some other nit-picking from the Corporate Legal Eagles.

I know this is not a satisfying answer to your question, but it is reality.  I
shall look forward with interest to read the comments of  our colleagues from
other institutions  on this subject...

Lou Pellegrino, PhD
Director of Sponsored Programs ( Ret. )
Purdue Research Foundation/Purdue University

Susan Benjamin wrote:

> Here is one of those "simple" questions for which there is no simple
> answer.  What is the "normal" length of time it takes for the negotiation
>  and processing of a commercial sponsor agreement which requires
> negotiations?  This would be the time from receipt of the proposed
> agreement in the Grants Office to execution of the final agreement.  We
> have had our share of the "easy" ones and that is not really my question.
>  It seems more and more negotiations are required for various clauses.  We
>  find it sometimes will take the sponsor quite a bit of time to respond to
> our comments or requests to revise clauses.  We are meeting with a group of
> researchers who have posed this question, with the indication that it takes
> longer then necessary to process the agreements in question.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Susan Benjamin
> Grant Administrator
> Health Research, Inc.
> (518)431-1261
> xxxxxx@health.state.ny.us
>
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--
Lou
xxxxxx@home.net

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