Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 442]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1943]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

439

involved in this investigation and in the judgment of the Director it would be impossible to secure the approval of their legal departments to the provision in question. I concur in the recommendation of the Director.

On motion of Mr. Jensen, the renewal of this agreement was authorized as recommended.

AMENDMENT OF AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATIVE RESEARCH INVESTIGATIONS SPONSORED BY OUTSIDE AGENCIES (7) The present form of contract used by the University covering cooperative research sponsored by outside agencies provides for a definite period of time with the understanding that the agreement may be extended for additional periods under the same terms or subject to such terms as may be mutually agreed upon. It is desirable to include in such contracts a reservation as to such extensions. The fact that an investigation has been going on for a number of years does not imply that it will be renewed automatically even though the sponsor is willing to continue supporting it. There should be a periodical review to determine whether the character of the work being done and the results achieved or in prospect justify the University in continuing a research program, regardless of the fact that private funds support it. Accordingly I recommend that all such new agreements and extensions of present agreements include the following provision: This agreement is executed for a period of years, beginning with the understanding that it may be extended for additional periods under the same terms or such other terms as may be mutually agreed on, provided, however, that should the (indicate here the name of the sponsor) wish to extend this contract, an application for such extension shall be made not less than thirty days before the date on which this contract expires, whereupon the University will consider and act on such application as soon as possible. The University reserves the right to decline to extend this contract if, in its judgment, the scholarly or scientific results realized or reasonably anticipated, do not appear to warrant a continued prosecution of the research. The present policy of the Board of Trustees governing cooperative research includes a provision that any special equipment necessary for conducting a cooperative investigation sponsored by an outside agency not available in the University shall be purchased from and charged against the funds provided by the sponsor, and furthermore that all such equipment and materials shall be the exclusive property of the University. I recommend that the Board reconsider this requirement which is considered by some sponsors as unreasonable. In actual practice, very few if any requests have been made by sponsors of investigations for the return of equipment paid for from the funds they have provided. Very often equipment is highly specialized and the investigations are carried on for long periods of time. Many of these cooperative investigations are carried on by the Engineering Experiment Station. Inquiry fails to reveal a single request for the return of any equipment to the sponsor. Nevertheless such a provision in the contract meets with objections from legal advisers who pass on such contracts for sponsors. The University has little to gain from such a requirement but its inclusion in future contracts will make it difficult to secure desirable sponsorship of important researches.

This matter was referred to the Committee on Patents for recommendation.

CHANGE IN CONTRACT WITH MUELLER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR REMODELING WORK IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL HOSPITALS (8) The Board on June 19, 1943 (Minutes, page 397), approved increases in the contract with the Mueller Construction Company for certain remodeling work in the Research and Educational Hospitals to a total of $86,812.97. Subsequently, specifications for further work were completed which can be carried out