GLOBAL ACCESS: TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Proposal Information

Organization Name
Project Name
ID Number / Foundation Program Officer

Introduction

This module of the proposal guidelines is intended to identify your efforts to structure the project in a way that will further the Global Access objectives. To meet the Global Access objectives, as a condition of the grant you agree to conduct and manage project research, project technologies, and information in a manner that enables (a) the knowledge gained during the project to be promptly and broadly disseminated, and (b) the intended product(s) to be made available and accessible at reasonable cost to either (i) people most in need within developing countries or (ii) the U.S. educational system and public libraries, as applicable to your proposed project.

The questions below focus on your access to the key technologies that are critical to the success of your proposed project, and your anticipated strategies for managing and disseminating (to the extent appropriate) products, technologies, and information in a manner that enables the achievement of the Global Access objectives.

We acknowledge that whether intellectual property (IP) protection would be an appropriate way to further these objectives is a strategic decision for grantees. We would appreciate learning your rationale as to how you think your particular IP management and protection strategies would best facilitate the achievement of Global Access.

The foundation strongly believes that this early due diligence process is an important element of our grantmaking, and will be critical to achieving the objective of ensuring that health, development, and educational solutions will be accessible by people most in need within either the developing world or the U.S. educational system and public libraries, as applicable to your proposed project. Your answers to the questions below will also help us better understand the additional resources (including budget items) that may be needed to complete your proposal.

Important Caveats

Although such planning is relevant at all stages in the product development process—from the early stage through proof-of-concept to launch and delivery—we recognize that the issues and the responses to them will be different in early and late-stage development. Do not hesitate to indicate “not applicable” as appropriate. These guidelines are designed for a wide range of potential projects and we recognize that there will be projects towhich some sections do not apply.

We recognize that the information sought below is often not available. In those cases, we look for acknowledgement of the issues, some discussion of them, and plans for addressing them, in collaboration with the foundation, at the appropriate stage in the development process. We do not expect definitive and well-researched responses to all of the following questions at the time of proposal preparation, but the questions do highlight issues that have been found to affect the ultimate success of a technology, and that we may need to address in partnership.

Sections To Be Completed

Please provide your responses to following questions. Capitalized terms are defined below. If any of the questions are not applicable, please mark with N/A.

  1. Project Technology
    Please describe the technologies, products, materials (both physical and written), software, data, processes, or formulations (“Project Technology”) to be created or further developed under the proposed project.
  2. IP Protection
    Please describe whether you intend to seek patent protection or protect as trade secret any Project Technology, and whether any organization other than the grantee would have Rights (defined below) to them.
  3. Background Technology
    Please list any Background Technology, to be provided by a Third Party for your project, and identify those Third Parties. Please briefly describe your terms of access. “Terms of Access” describes your rights (and any limitations on those rights) to use these technologies for the purposes of this project, and for the achievement of the longer-term Global Access objectives.
  4. Other Market Applications
    Please describe whether the Project Technology may have applicability to uses, diseases, markets, or conditions beyond those described in the proposal.
  5. Commercialization and Dissemination
  1. Does your organization plan to assume responsibility for maturation, production, and dissemination of the innovation itself? If not, who will assume this responsibility?
  2. Please describe the anticipated manner in which you will further the Global Access objective of ensuring the broad and prompt dissemination of project information.
  3. Please describe your anticipated approach to furthering the Global Access objective of ensuring that the intended product(s) be made available and accessible at reasonable cost to (i) people most in need within developing countries or (ii) the U.S. educational system and public libraries. Specifically, include your anticipated strategies for accessing, managing, and licensing your project’s intellectual property and the management of data.
Definition of Terms

Background Technology– All technologies, products, materials(both physical and written), software, data, processes, or formulations, and all associated Rights, to be used as part of your project that were created prior to or outside of the project.

Project Technology – All technologies, products,materials (both physical and written),software, data, processes or formulations that are to be created, compiled, conceived or reduced to practice as part of your project and all associated Rights.

Rights – (i) Any interest (e.g. license, ownership, option, security interest, etc.) in patents, patent applications and copyrights and (ii) the rights to use any technologies, information (including trade secrets), data, or materials.

Third Party – Any individuals, organizations, or companies that have not executed or are not expected to execute a foundation-approved collaboration agreement that is associated with the project.

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