Standard agreement for research and investigation assignments

Standard agreements for research and investigation assignments are for use by anyone who wants independent commissioned research with a high degree of legitimacy. Public employers are encouraged to consider the standard agreement for research and investigation assignments.

The agreement is suitable both for research assignments and for smaller investigations and evaluations. It sets no restrictions on who can carry out the assignment, and can be used both by research institutes and consultants without formal research qualifications. The agreement is not intended to be used for contribution research/research grants.

The public sector is encouraged to always first consider the use of this agreement when entering into agreements on research and investigation work. All parts of the agreement can be adapted to the needs of specific assignments. Deviating agreement terms on the principal parts of the standard agreement should, however, be justified separately.

The standard agreement is made up of a solid framework for how public employers can ensure that research and investigation assignments are carried out within recognised scientific and ethical principles, that both the employer and the research have rights to the results, and that the results are made public. The agreement is for use by anyone who wants independent commissioned research with a high degree of legitimacy. The basis for public decisions must be prepared in a professionally sound manner, and not least with transparency. Only in this way can the public’s trust in research and investigations in general and in knowledge-based policy be maintained.