The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) recently organized a workshop for HBKU researchers and faculty examining the key aspects of research agreements. 

With 60+ attendees from HBKU colleges and research institutes, the workshop brought together speakers from HBKU College of Law, Qatar Foundation (QF) Legal and OVPR, who shared legal insights with practical applications, to emphasize the importance of having a well-drafted research agreement. 

The speakers included Dr. Susan L. Karamanian (Dean at HBKU College of Law), Rizal Kahar Bador (Assistant General Counsel at QF), Abeer Malik (Research Governance and Compliance Specialist at OVPR), Nancy Goel (IP and Agreement Specialist at OVPR) and Dyala Younis (Contracts Specialist at OVPR). 

Discussions during the workshop focused on familiarizing the audience with key terms in research agreements. A particular focus was on the potential of IP generation through research and the need for appropriate IP terms and IP disclosure process. The speakers further reflected on the importance of a specific scope of work, and the coordination and execution of such agreements with different departments across HBKU and QF.

Dean Susan L. Karamanian, College of Law, said: “HBKU researchers invariably find themselves facing legal issues, particularly relating to contractual rights and obligations. The session enabled us to shed light on these issues and do so in a setting that encouraged a lively conversation with the researchers about the daily practical application of the law.”

Maryam Al-Nisf, Senior Legal Counsel at QF, shared: “It was a good opportunity to educate and increase the awareness of the faculty and researchers in this regard and hopefully, this will have a good impact on our future agreements.” Alya Al-Naimi, Assistant General Counsel at QF,  further added: “It was a great opportunity to discuss researchers’ needs and concerns about the legal issues they face, and we look forward to finding ways to provide them legal assistance to facilitate their ultimate goal of enhancing their research field.”