Typically, Guest Researcher Agreements are used when an industrial, foreign, academic, or other researcher wishes to join an ongoing BFRL research effort. The researcher gains access to BFRL research staff and facilities and, in return, results from the collaboration are made publicly available. Such agreements cannot protect proprietary information and do not allow cooperating companies to receive exclusive intellectual property rights. Once a BFRL research group agrees to host a guest researcher, implementation of such agreements takes only about 1 week. In calendar year 1999, NIST hosted 615 foreign guest researchers from 69 different countries.
Assignments are generally one year in duration.
Visiting Scholars from Universities Visiting scholars have opportunities to contribute to advancing the state of the art building and fire research through assignments ranging from a few months to periods of several years. Researchers from State and Local Governments Researchers from state and local governments are also welcome to join BFRL staff in joint research projects. These researchers remain employees of their sponsoring organizations. The cooperating organization funds the BFRL effort on a cost-reimbursable basis. Individual contracts may provide protection of proprietary information under certain circumstances.