To avoid conflicts of commitment, however, the University requires its faculty to limit such outside involvement to no more than one day per seven day week during the academic year, as well as during other periods for which the faculty member is receiving compensation from the University. This limitation on the time that a faculty member is permitted to engage in consulting is well known and widely observed. Less well understood and probably less widely observed is the requirement that faculty members not enter into consulting agreements that are in conflict with the University's general objectives or its specific policies. Traditionally, industrial enterprises have employed faculty consultants for their general expertise, seeking to direct this broad knowledge toward the solution of specific problems. Increasingly, however, industry has sought academic consultants because of a specific interest in the techniques or results of a faculty member's university-based research.
Many outside employers require faculty consultants to sign written consulting agreements.
Many companies have a standard form for such agreements, but the standard form in many cases requires the faculty member to surrender far more of his or her individual rights than is necessary for a successful working arrangement. Certain standard forms also contain language that gives the company rights to physical or intellectual property that is not owned by the faculty member, such as access to lab equipment at Yale or claims to inventions made at Yale. To be certain that you do not enter into an agreement that is contrary to your own best interest or to University policy, it is advisable to consult with the Office of Cooperative Research. The office can answer your questions concerning University policy on outside activities, on patents and copyrights, and on the use of University facilities and resources. It is also advisable to seek the opinion of an attorney.