Externally Funded Contracts

All contracts must be coordinated with the Office of Finance and Administration. Please visit their Contracts page for more information.

Awards made by contractual agreements are usually more complicated than awards
made by grants. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, along with the
Finance and Administration Office, is responsible for preparing and negotiating
contracts with industry, agencies of state and federal government, local
municipalities and nonprofit organizations. Cooperative efforts are encouraged with
private and public partners to support research and creative activities that support
the University’s research, teaching, and public service missions. General policies/procedures
applicable to agreements between the Minnesota State Mankato Board of Trustees
and industrial and commercial organizations are stated below. Many of these
policies apply to federal, state, local governments, and nonprofit organizations.

University Review and Administration

Initial discussions between sponsor representatives and faculty or staff are
encouraged since this confirms mutual interest. However, sponsored projects can be
formally established at Minnesota State Mankato only after a proposal has been
submitted and approved through internal review procedures, and an acceptable
agreement is negotiated and signed by the authorized representatives of the
organizations involved.

Publication Policy

Minnesota State Mankato’s sponsored activities are conducted as an integral part of
the total educational program, and these activities often form the basis for articles
in professional journals, seminar reports, presentations at professional meetings,
and student theses. Copyrights and publication rights belong to this university
and/or the author. Minnesota State Mankato may allow the sponsor to retain
ownership of information, as long as both sign an agreement acknowledging such.

Confidentiality

Any proprietary information disclosed by a sponsor to a Minnesota State Mankato
employee shall be governed by individual nondisclosure agreements between the
sponsor and the individual(s) performing the work.
Compensation and Payments
Contracts with for-profit sponsors are performed on a full cost recovery basis.
Project budgets should include both direct costs and full indirect costs at Minnesota
State Mankato’s federally negotiated rate, corporate and foundation rate, or the
maximal allowable rate of the funding agency. The schedule of payments is
negotiable depending on type and scope of project, length of project period and
anticipated pace and pattern of actual expenditures.

Use of the University’s Name

Minnesota State Mankato requires that its name not be used in connection with any
advertisement, press release, or other forms of business promotion or publicity,
without prior written approval.

Liability and Risk

Standard agreement stipulates that the sponsor indemnify, save, and hold
Minnesota State Mankato, its representatives and employees, harmless from any
and all claims or causes of action, including attorney’s fees incurred by the
university, arising from the performance of the contract by the sponsor or the
sponsor’s employees. Minnesota State Mankato cannot legally agree to indemnify
the sponsor. Other language may be negotiated with a sponsor. Please contact the
Finance and Administration Office for assistance.

National and State-required Clauses

Minnesota State Mankato, as a state-supported entity, has constitutional and
statutory requirements to insert in all contracts certain clauses dealing with
nondiscrimination, conflict of interest, non-appropriations, and arbitration. For
further information, contact the Finance and Administration Office.

Termination of the Agreement

In the event the sponsor for any reason terminates a funding agreement, the
sponsor will be expected to reimburse the university for all costs incurred to the
date of termination and for all non-cancelable obligations. Expenditures for which
Minnesota State Mankato does not receive reimbursement are the responsibility of
principal investigators and their departments.