September 19, 1996

Dr. Dale H. VanderholIn
Associate Dean & Director Agricultural Research
207 Agriculture Hall
University of Nerbraska-Lincoln

RE: Bridging the Gap

As you recall the Industrial Agricultural Products Center (IAPC) was created on May 6, 1988 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. It was established because of strong encouragement and support by several commodity groups, industry and government leaders. Its purpose is to help broaden markets for agricultural commodities produced in Nebraska by creating a partnership between agriculture, business, government and education. Chancellor Massengale designated Dr. Irv Omtvedt to provide campus-wide administrative oversight for the program.

IAPC's objectives identified in Dr. Omtvedt's letter to the IANR Vice Chancellor's Council on July 5, 1988 were:

To broaden Nebraska's industrial and commercial activity through new applications of the State's agricultural commodities.

To identify end products derived from agricultural commodities that have the greatest change for commercial success.

To solve technical problems in production and raw material conversion.

To provide technical, marketing, and business assistance to farmers, entrepreneurs, and businesses,

Currently we have several entrepreneurs and businesses that are willing to give IAPC a share of the "revenue" on products/processes that we have helped evolve. In these instances, we have provided "know-how" and not patentable information. We need a straightforward agreement that can be used to formalize these arrangements. These are not research projects, but long-term payments for the help we provided to make their products/processes work.

We contacted Dr. Helrnuth's office beginning in May, 1996 and called him the last time on June 17, l 996 and left a message with his secretary who said he was on the phone. We have not received a return call.

In July Monte Reimers (of Dr. Helmuth's office) called and I set up a meeting on Tuesday, July 23, 1996 at 11 :30AM. We discussed the need for a straightforward agreement with him and he said he would see what could be done. We gave him a copy of the U.S. Defense Department's STTR model agreement (4 pages long). On September 5, 1996 Monte called back and said that he could not help with the agreement and volunteered to send us a copy of the agreement that Dr. Helmuth recommended. The doument we received was a cooperative research agreement, which is not appropriate for this situation.

Four months have already Past. and with the continued delays in time, we are losing credibility with our clients and they are beginning to reconsider just "what" they are willing to "pay" us. We have several more opportunities to enter similar arrangements, yet we are hesitant until these pending agreements can be completed.

We request your ideas on how best to resolve this predicament.

Sincerely,

Gerald D. Biby
Attachment: How the Center Started
 

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