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  • 1.  Indemnification

    Posted Wed November 11, 2015 08:44

    Dear Colleagues,

    our university is involved in a DARPA application as subawardee. The question about indemnification came up as the research results might have the potential of dual use. Do you know how the indemnification for liability resulting from use of research results is? Which regulation would apply in this case?

    Thanks a lot for your help.

    Best regards,

    Agatha

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    Agatha Keller
    Co-Director EU GrantsAccess
    ETH Zurich | University of Zurich
    Zurich
    414-463-45350
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  • 2.  RE: Indemnification

    Posted Mon November 16, 2015 18:02

    When we are a subcontractor on a federal award we do not indemnify against the liability arising from research results. To the contrary we expressly disclaim such liability on the grounds that our research is a scientific undertaking.  Furthermore, if the contractor is planning on commercializing our research results we seek indemnities from them. 

    The indemnity issue sounds like a contractor’s attempt to negotiate a favorable term, not a government regulation.  Did they refer to a FAR or DFAR clause?

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    Jeffrey Newman
    Director, Contract & Research Administration
    Vanderbilt University
    Nashville, TN
    615-322-2476