Streamlining Collaborative Agreements in an e-Research World

Abstract

On 22 January 2008, the Australian Minister for Innovation, Science and Research announced a review of the ‘National Innovation System’2 which intends to analyse the Australian innovation system and to ‘build innovation capacity by bringing sectors, institutions and individuals together’.3 To achieve innovation through this style of collaboration, the different actors will inevitably need to engage with technologically enhanced research methods and practices known broadly as e-Research. The rapidly emerging e-Research landscape promises to accelerate the discovery of knowledge, to increase the access and dissemination of data and to provide the opportunity for the international and serendipitous exchange of knowledge. 4 The law will play a central role in this environment. It acts like an infrastructure to shape the flow of knowledge. In many collaborative projects, the negotiation and completion of agreements which outline the project are not only critical, but also represent one of the biggest barriers to effective collaboration. The purpose of this chapter is to consider how the negotiation and contractual frameworks for research can be streamlined to accommodate the coming era of collaborative e-Research.