Our CRADA Process

A Standard CRADA is a written agreement between Sandia and one or more collaborators to work in partnership on a research project of mutual interest and consists of terms and conditions and a Statement of Work (SOW). The SOW covers task descriptions, project duration, funds-in (if any) and in-kind contribution. The SOW is typically completed by the Sandia Principal Investigator in conjunction with the prospective CRADA Partner’s technical lead. The terms and conditions are negotiated between the CRADA Partner and the Sandia CRADA Specialist in parallel to the drafting of the SOW.

An Umbrella CRADA is a written agreement between Sandia and one or more collaborators to work in partnership in a research area of mutual interest. This model has a broad Umbrella Statement of Work (SOW) that describes technology or capability category areas under which the CRADA Partner and Sandia intend to work. The Umbrella SOW does not describe the actual work to be performed and does not delineate any funding. Actual work performed under an Umbrella CRADA is described in Project & Task Statements (PTSs). Any particular PTS must fall under one of the technology/capability category areas under the Umbrella SOW and the PTS must describe the tasks to be performed, funds-in (if any), the CRADA Partner’s in-kind contribution and the duration of the work not to exceed the Umbrella CRADA duration. The Umbrella SOW and PTS are typically completed by the Sandia Principal Investigator in conjunction with the prospective CRADA Partner’s technical lead. The terms and conditions are negotiated between the CRADA Partner and the Sandia CRADA Specialist in parallel to the drafting of the Umbrella SOW and PTS.

The PDS is a document that captures basic company information of prospective partners (e.g., signatory, technical points of contact, location of business etc.). VERY IMPORTANT: Processing of a CRADA package cannot occur unless the PDS is complete in its entirety. Access the PDS CRADA here.

There may be an economic or national security issue that needs to be addressed through improvement or development of a technology or capability. As a CRADA Partner you recognize the issue and believe that your institution is in proper position to leverage Sandia’s research and development to create a competitive edge in your industry and/or provide cutting edge capabilities to help ensure our nation’s security. Identifying your specific technology or capability is the first step in walking down the path of collaboration.

As a prospective CRADA Partner, you may have already had contact with a member of Sandia’s technical staff through a conference or other business development opportunity. Alternatively you may not have had contact but have identified a capability or technology that you would like to develop or improve with the help of Sandia’s expertise. Under either scenario, please email us at CRADA@sandia.gov to get started in the right direction.

Sandia is a full cost recovery laboratory and as such requires payment in advance of work performed. To facilitate the drafting of a SOW it is helpful if the CRADA Partner first identifies potential funding sources and develops a cost limit plan for any funds-in to Sandia. Total funds-in to Sandia will vary based on project length, amount of Sandia personnel dedicated to the project and the unique burden rate placed on each member of Sandia’s technical staff.

Note: Steps 3, 4 and 5 happen in parallel.

The CRADA Partner will work in conjunction with the Sandia technical staff member to develop the SOW based on a mutually agreed upon project plan. Typically the Sandian completes the actual documents through close coordination with the CRADA Partner. The SOW templates are specifically required by the DOE and use of the wrong document type or deviation from the template format in any way WILL create problems for processing AND cause a delay in start of work. Please contact CRADA@sandia.gov to ascertain the proper CRADA type for your proposed work.

Note: Steps 3, 4 and 5 happen in parallel.

Sandia provides the prospective CRADA partner with terms and conditions that are pre-approved by Sandia legal, DOE legal, and the DOE Contracting Officer. ANY deviation from the preapproved terms and conditions WILL delay work start dates as each proposed modification must be approved by both Sandia legal and DOE legal. While the Agreement is between Sandia Corporation and the CRADA Partner, all CRADAs entered into by Sandia must be approved by the DOE Contracting Officer at the DOE Field Office.

Note: Steps 3, 4 and 5 happen in parallel.

Once all documents are complete, the CRADA is processed and sent to the DOE Contracting Officer for approval. Upon DOE Contracting Officer approval, the CRADA can be signed to make execution effective.

If there will be funds transferred from the CRADA Partner to Sandia, the money is sent based on a mutually agreed upon invoice schedule. Funding is transferred only after execution becomes effective. Please see Funding for more details.

Once execution is effective and payment has been received, work can officially begin! The CRADA can be amended upon mutual agreement at any time to add/delete/modify tasks or funding. The duration of the CRADA can be extended by a time only extension that requires minimal processing. Please contact CRADA@sandia.gov for more details.