Collaboration

Partnerships  

The UG fulfils an active role in society and works with numerous partners: from regional to international partners. Before you embark on a research project, it can be useful to get an idea of the partnerships already operating within the UG and how they could be useful to you. There are various service units at the UG that can offer advice and support relating to collaboration.

Regional and national collaboration

The UG works closely with other institutes for higher education, for secondary education, public bodies, industry, and other organizations at local and national level. The Regional collaboration page has more information and examples of regional partnerships. In addition, the University of the North, a knowledge and innovation network comprising five Northern knowledge institutions including the UG, might provide some interesting collaboration options.

International collaboration

Internationalization is one of the priority areas on the UG policy agenda. Close collaboration with national and international universities, public bodies, non-profit organizations, industry, and other parties, stimulates innovation, quality, and diversity in research. It is also a good way of boosting the societal and economic impact of research. Read the page on internationalization at the UG for more information. This overview page provides detailed information about international networks with which the UG is affiliated.

Interdisciplinary research collaboration

When researchers from different research fields, both from within and outside the UG, work together on a research project, we refer to this as an interdisciplinary research partnership. Partnerships of this kind vary greatly: from biotechnical research to collaborations in the field of healthy ageing. Based on the conviction that interdisciplinary research helps to solve complex problems and increases the impact that research has on society, the UG encourages and facilitates interdisciplinary research collaboration. Interdisciplinary research at the UG is divided into four Sc

hools. The following section provides more information about these Schools, their activities relating to research, teaching, and impact, and about the opportunities for collaboration.

• Wubbo Ockels School (energy transition and climate adaptation)
• Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health (healthy ageing)
• Jantina Tammes School (digital innovation, artificial intelligence, and technological development)
• Agricola School for Sustainable Development (governance, political and sustainable processes)

More information and support

There are several service units at the UG that can help you with more information, advice, and/or support regarding collaboration.

Collaboration agreements

If you are a researcher and you want to set up a research project involving a partnership with various other parties, you will need to have contracts drawn up. You must always ask your faculty contact person to contact the General Administrative and Legal Affairs Office (ABJZ) to do this on your behalf. This may be the project controller, for example, or the funding officer, project manager, or business coordinator (FSE). Read the page on collaboration agreements further on in this portal for more information.

Industry relations

The Industry Relations team, part of the Research & Impact cluster, helps researchers to find collaborations with parties such as companies, non-profit organizations, public bodies, and knowledge institutions. The basic aim is to establish sustainable collaboration programmes for research, teaching, talent development, or societal impact. If you want to explore your options for collaborating with another party before you begin your research, the Industry Relations cluster is always happy to provide input about the possibilities.

Public engagement

The UG encourages researchers to work alongside public partners. These could be: citizens, communities, companies, or social organizations. Sharing, co-creating, and applying knowledge generates a dialogue between the public and academia, serving to increase the societal impact of research. To find out more about public engagement, or to find support in this area, go to the Public engagement during your research page, where we go into the details of this subject.        

More information per faculty

Collaboration tools 

The UG helps researchers to collaborate in the most effective, user-friendly manner possible. They do this by providing specific tools that enable researchers to work and meet remotely, and to exchange files as securely as possible.

Further information

Collaboration tools

Click here to see which online collaboration tools and platforms are available to researchers at the UG.

Virtual Research Workspace

The Virtual Research Workspace (VRW) is a virtualized desktop environment where researchers, both within and outside of the UG, and/or partners can work together and carry out data analyses securely.  

More information per faculty

Funding for collaboration 

Various funding options are available to stimulate collaboration between researchers and academic and societal partners. The Faculty Funding Officer in your faculty can advise you about the possibilities. In addition, there are centralized departments such as the Funding Team which can provide advice on and support with applying for funding for collaboration. 

More information and support

Research & Impact

The Research & Impact cluster maintains contact with funding bodies and  industry. They can advise you on which grants could benefit your partnership.

Funding Team

The Funding Team is aware of the latest developments regarding grants at national, European, and international level. They can deploy their experience and expertise in grants and funding to help you find funding bodies and provide support when applying for grants.

YAG Incentive fund for interdisciplinary projects

If you want to work together with one or more researchers from other faculties in the fields of research, teaching, or impact, the YAG Incentive fund for interdisciplinary projects provides grants for the purpose of exploring potential partnerships. These are one-year projects, in which researchers can expand their innovative ideas or evaluate the feasibility of an idea. This could be a step towards establishing a larger collaboration project based around a new theme with internal and external partners.  

More information per faculty

Collaboration agreements

If, as a researcher, you want to set up a research project in which various parties are working together, you will need to draw up contracts. Partnerships with public bodies, financiers, or commercial parties, for example, must be laid down in formal agreements. You must always ask your faculty contact person to contact the General Administrative and Legal Affairs Office (ABJZ), to do this on your behalf. This may be the project controller, for example, or the funding officer, project manager, or business coordinator (FSE).

Furthermore, numerous research collaborations are fully covered by financial resources other than subsidies.These General Terms and Conditions Research Collaborations and use of general terms and conditions apply to this situation. At the start of such a collaboration, it is very important to formalize agreements about ownership and operating rights that may follow from the research results. Joint work with external parties may result in the development of knowledge and/or intellectual property rights. On behalf of the researchers, ABJZ will negotiate an agreement reflecting a fair arrangement for the research that is being done, for the knowledge and know-how that will be gained, as well as for the remuneration. The University of Groningen’s legal advisers can assist researchers with this process. They will contact the external party's legal adviser when needed. The UG legal advisers will then guide the University of Groningen staff through the agreement’s conditions.

More information and support

Signing a collaboration agreement

You must always ask the General Administrative and Legal Affairs Office (ABJZ) to draw up a collaboration contract on your behalf. They can help you with the third-party negotiations and the wording and signing of the contract or model agreement itself. The government and funding bodies often work with standard contracts, but you will need a customized contract if you want to agree a collaboration with commercial parties. Whatever the type of collaboration agreement, it is important to involve ABJZ at an early stage, leaving enough time to prepare the contract before any agreements are reached with third parties.

More information about conditions and model agreements relating to contract funding.

International collaboration agreements

You will find specific information about international collaboration agreements and the relevant procedures and working practices on the International collaboration agreements page.

More information per faculty

Are you planning to start an international cooperation, agreement, or to welcome a (guest) researcher? Check for knowledge security issues and contact the Knowledge Security Advisory Team if necessary.