PROJECT AGREEMENT

for a

Taught Postgraduate

Collaborative Project with Business (CPB)

This form should be completed by the Student in collaboration with their Academic Supervisor and the Organisation supervisor/mentor, after referring to the guidance at the end of this document. The Student is responsible for submitting this formto the academic supervisor and/or Joe [EA1]Bloggs ()at the date specified.[EJA2]

A Collaborative Project with Business (CPB) is a dissertation project that is undertaken with a business organisation (public, private, third sector,etc.). Projects may be based onsite (the student works at the organisation) or offsite (the student is based at the University) or a mixture of the two. A member of the business organisation will act as a supervisor/mentor. Overall academic supervision will be provided by a member of staff of the University to ensure that the project is realistic and meets the academic requirements of a taught postgraduate dissertation project.

General Information on Making the Most of Masters can be found at while information specific to the University of Stirling can be obtained from or by emailing

For any enquiries please contact:

Add contact details appropriate to taught postgraduate degree programme or Faculty.

Project Agreement/Memorandumof Understanding

By signing this document the Student, the University and the Organisation is confirming the information provided on this form is correct and that they will abide by the principles of Annex 1 the Quality Commitment for Collaborative Projects with Businesses (CPBs).

THIS AGREEMENT is made on the {insert date}

BETWEEN

(1)University of Stirling
{insert name of Faculty}
(2)The Student {insert name of the student, their degree programme and contact details including Email and Telephone}
(3)The Organisation {insert name and address of Organisation}
(4)Type and Size of Organisation {please mark appropriately} / Public; Private; Third sector; Other(please state):
Large International; Large National; SME; Microbusiness

REPRESENTATIVES

The Organisation’s[1] representative shall be: / Name:
Position:
Email:
Telephone:
The University’s representative[2] shall be: / Name:
Position:
Email:
Telephone:

All communications between the University and the Organisation for the purpose of the project shall be through the representatives mentioned above.

This Agreement is to be signed by the Organisation, the Student and the University Representative at the stage where the initial project outlines are refined and before commencement of the project.The agreement represents the entire understanding between the parties and supersedes all other promises or arrangements.

Signatures / Date
University Representative
Organisation Representative
Student
  1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PLAN

This should be completed by the Student, in collaboration with the key contact in the Organisation named below,the Academic Supervisor and, if appropriate, the University Representative.

Name of Student:
Degree Programme:
Contact Details (email, phone and address):
Nameof the person (Organisation supervisor/mentor) who will be the key contact in the Organisation:
Position:
Contact Details (email, phone and address):
Please provide the name and contact details of a second Organisation contact in case of emergency:
Please provide the contact details of a nominated person for compliance with health and safety legislation:
Where will the student be working? Estimate the time the Student will be based at the Organisation (including field sites) and the University:
Provisional title of proposed project:
Has a Project Plan been prepared that sets realistic expectations and outcomes that has been agreed by all stakeholders?
Any specific requirements e.g. specific equipment, travel, funding(ensure a system is agreed for expenses):
Any outputs required by the Organisation? (For example: a copy of the thesis/research publication; executive summary; presentation of results to particular stakeholders, etc.)
It is recognised that a project with an organisation will per se enhance the students’ employability. Are there any specific initiatives planned to enhance the employability of the student? E.g. involvement in business meetings, student to present to stakeholders in the sector, involvement in public information event etc.
Does the Organisation have a named Data Protection Officer?
Name:
Email:
Does the Organisation meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations including the requirements for ensuring personal data is held securely?
Do you foresee any confidentiality or Intellectual Property issues? If yes, has this been dealt with?[3]
Is a schedule for meeting planned?
Are there any dates when stakeholders may NOT be available e.g. due to personal/work commitments?
It is suggested that the University, Organisation Supervisor(s) and the Student meet (physically or virtually) at least three times during the CPB.

Guidance for Completion of MMM Project Agreement.

The form is for staff, students and representatives from organisations i.e. businesses of all types (public, private, third sector organisations etc) who are considering undertaking a collaborative project as part of the students’ masters programme e.g. MSc, LLM etc. It is intended to facilitate discussions to develop a successful collaborative project with business (CPB) to ensure and that University of Stirling students and collaborators are provided with good experiences as well as legal protection. A major role of the form is to ask questions which will help reduce issues and indeed project failure.

This Project Agreement is intended to be used at the stage where initial project outlines are refined. It is a reference document that will help set expectations in which key parameters are agreed. It is hence essential that desired outcomes are discussed before the project commences and before submission (and signing) to ensure that the required work fits with the Organisations needs and thestudent’s degree programme. The Project Agreement, and in particular, Annex 1, Quality Commitment for Taught Postgraduate Collaborative Projects, serves to ensure that all parties develop a transparent understanding of responsibilities, governing regulations and considerations. All parties should be aware of deadlines and the desire to enhance student employability in line with the mission of the University of Stirling’s Employability Strategy, see:

The Project Agreement must be signed by the Organisation, Student and the University (typically the academic research supervisor). Students are responsible for submission of the form and should seek advice from the organisation and academic supervisor/Programme Director as required. The Project Agreement (updated to provide relevant Programme information on page 1 and excluding this guidance page) should be submitted to the named person on the first page prior to commencement of theCPB in accordance with Quality Assurance guidelines who should check it’s sufficient before signing.

It should be ensured that a suitable environment for the achievement of the learning outcomes associated with the CPB is provided, and that organisations are aware of, accept and are capable of fulfilling their responsibilities for facilitating learning.

Regardless of the final content of this agreement, certain core components will need to be agreed upon that meet national guidelines for best practice, and academic quality and standards, such as the QAA work-based and placement learning guide[4], and the ASET good practice for placements guide.[5] This document offers a framework to ensure this.

Details to consider discussing that should be captured at an early stage include confirmation of:

  • the name and address of the organisation and the name of the supervisor/contact person(s);
  • start and finish dates (including the final deadline date for submission of the dissertation or its equivalent;
  • the intended learning outcomes;
  • the schedule of any visits/communications
  • any assessment requirements
  • details of any costs that might be borne by stakeholders;
  • details of any record keeping activities which may involve students in defining their own outcomes and evaluating their progress against these;
  • emergency procedures, including a list of emergency contact numbers;
  • awareness of any codes of practice including health & safety; risk assessment; ethical research and intellectual property
  • student involvement in activities that will help develop their skills and attributes

1 Version March 2018

[1]If multiple organisations involved, there should be discussion and agreement set-out in this document on how the CPB is managed. If required each organisation should be added and a signature obtained from their representative.

[2]This would normally be the academic supervisor

[3]MMM can provide a Confidentiality Agreement. Non-Disclosure and Intellectual Property Agreements will have to be prepared with advice from Research and Innovation Services as these are legally binding.

[4]QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education (part B), 2015, QAA.

[5]ASET Good Practice Guide for Work based and Placement Learning in Higher Education, ISBN 978-0-9564559-8-7, September 2013.

[EA1]A Programme relevant person should be identified to manage these forms e.g. Programme Director, Module Co-ordinator, CPB Supervisor.

The University typically via Faculty Employability Officer/Managers will need to collate information i.e. number of projects/course, name of host organisation and will request this information.

[EJA2]Please insert a suitable deadline date for the taught postgraduate degree programme.

Programme Directors may also wish to consider whether anything else relevant to the Programme should be submitted at the same time e.g. many programmes require a detailed project proposal to be completed. Similar deadline dates could be considered.