Cooperative Research and 

Development Agreements

WHAT IS A CRADA? 

A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement 

(CRADA) is a written agreement that facilitates research and 

development (R&D) collaboration between one or more federal 

laboratories and one or more non-federal entities. Both parties 

to a CRADA may provide personnel, facilities, equipment, or 

other resources, but the government may not provide funding 

to non-federal entities under a CRADA. CRADAs are 

authorized by 15 U.S. Code § 3710a. 

DHS CRADAs 

CRADAs assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

by facilitating collaboration with other entities to leverage the 

expertise and resources of both parties. The program assists 

R&D program managers across DHS in establishing CRADAs 

to support the development and delivery of technology 

solutions for homeland security end users. The DHS Science 

and Technology Directorate (S&T) manages CRADAs for the 

 

Department.

WHEN IS A CRADA APPROPRIATE?

CRADAs provide an easy way to collaborate with DHS 

programs, laboratories, and/or components. CRADAs enable 

DHS researchers to exchange technical expertise with nonfederal partners and protect the rights of both parties to 

inventions that may result from the collaboration. CRADAs are 

ideal mechanisms when DHS and an external partner can 

share resources and expertise not otherwise available to the 

other party to help advance development of an idea or 

technology that helps meet homeland security needs.

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE IN CRADAs?

CRADAs must involve at least one non-federal party. In 

addition to DHS researchers, the other participants in a 

CRADA may be one or more of the following:

• Private corporations (U.S. or foreign)

• Nonprofit and not-for-profit institutions (U.S. or foreign) 

including universities and foundations

• State and local governments (U.S.) 

• Individuals (U.S. or foreign)

BENEFITS OF USING A CRADA

CRADAs provide DHS and CRADA partners the opportunity to 

engage in joint R&D efforts and offer the following benefits:

• Ease of entering into arrangements with DHS to engage in 

R&D activities

• Access to DHS laboratories' expertise, capabilities, and 

technologies to foster innovation and improve the 

economic, environmental, and social well being of the U.S. 

• New products, processes, and intellectual property (IP) 

applicable to DHS mission and commercial goals

• Access to IP resulting from CRADA efforts 

• Reduced costs, time, and risk of R&D to achieve DHS 

mission and/or commercial goals by leveraging external 

expertise, ideas, investment, and resources

• Joint approaches to solving specific problems by applying 

different cultural solutions

CRADA ACTIVITIES

DHS CRADAs support the following collaborative activities that 

span the R&D lifecycle and increase technology transfer and 

commercialization readiness: basic research; concept ideation; 

prototype development; testing and evaluation; technology 

demonstrations; assessments and pilot deployments; and 

adaptation of commercial products for government use in DHS 

mission applications.

CONTACT

If you have questions or would like more information about the 

DHS CRADA Program, please email CRADA@hq.dhs.gov.

Contact Us: SandT.Innovation@hq.dhs.gov scitech.dhs.gov dhsscitech 

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