Associate General Counsel - Research

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President for Legal Affairs & General Counsel, with a coordinating line to the Vice President for Research, the Associate General Counsel will provide an array of in-house legal services. Working as a member of a team created to address matters associated with the university’s research enterprise and health affairs, this position will provide general legal support for all research operations, as well as for other transactional matters, as needed, within the Office of the General Counsel, including, but not limited to, university-wide student affiliation agreements, third party payer agreements, etc. This position will also provide legal support to FAU’s Division of Research (DoR), primarily the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of Sponsored Programs, Research Integrity Office, Office of Technology Development, and the Office of Comparative Medicine, as well as other units within the Division. This position serves as a liaison between the General Counsel’s Office and the DoR, and between the DoR and other University units concerning research-related legal, export control, foreign influence and compliance matters.

The Associate General Counsel will provide legal advice and counsel in connection with, but not limited to, the following areas:

Associate General Counsel

• Drafting, reviewing, and providing legal advice on negotiations related to sponsored and non- sponsored projects and related contracts, teaming agreements, clinical trial agreements, non- disclosure agreements, material transfer agreements, data use agreement, research collaboration agreements, memorandum of understanding agreements and any other research related agreement.
• Developing and reviewing template contracts and documents for units within the Division of Research.
• Providing legal advice and guidance on compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing research activities, including biosafety, human subjects protection, animal welfare, financial conflicts of interest in research, research misconduct, foreign influence and export controls.
• Conducting legal research on emerging legal issues impacting research, such as data management and security, foreign influence, intellectual property, and open access publishing.
• Advising on the development, interpretation and implementation of all the university policies and procedures related to research.
• Serving as liaison between the university and external stakeholders, including government agencies, industry partners, and legal counsel, to negotiate and facilitate research collaborations and resolve legal disputes.
• Serving as liaison between the division and stakeholders on patent, copyright, and trademark law as needed.
• Advising the Office of the Vice President of Research, the Research Integrity Office, and the Office of Sponsored Programs, among other offices within the Division of Research, to ensure coordinated and consistent legal support for research activities.
• Monitoring changes in federal funding regulations and advising on their impact on university research programs.
• Drafting and reviewing research-related policies and procedures to ensure compliance with legal requirements and best practices.
• Advising on the development of technology control plans (TCPs) and other compliance measures to protect sensitive research and technology from unauthorized access or disclosure.
• Serving as a resource for researchers and administrators on legal issues related to research data management, storage, sharing, transfer and destruction.
• Participating in interdisciplinary research initiatives and partnerships to address legal and regulatory challenges in specific fields of study.
• Reviewing and advising on international research collaborations and agreements, including issues related to cross-border data transfers and intellectual property protection.
• Provide strategic guidance and support to university leadership on legal matters impacting research operations, including risk management, contract negotiations, and dispute resolution.
• Assisting in the development and implementation of strategies to address research misconduct and promote the ethical conduct of research within the university.
• Providing guidance and assistance in investigating allegations of research misconduct, export control violations, and other compliance issues, ensuring prompt and thorough resolution in accordance with university policies and procedures.
• Providing guidance and oversight on compliance with state and federal laws, regulations, and agency policies regarding foreign influence in research, including those issued by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Defense (DoD).
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures to address concerns related to foreign influence, including disclosure requirements for foreign collaborations, foreign travel, foreign financial interests, and foreign talent recruitment programs.
• Conducting risk assessments and investigations to identify potential instances of undisclosed foreign influence, conflicts of interest, or intellectual property theft.
• Advising university leadership, research administrators, and faculty on the legal implications of foreign collaborations and partnerships, including vetting of foreign entities and individuals, and assessing risks associated with international research activities.
• Reviewing and advising on grant proposals, research agreements, and other documents to ensure compliance with federal regulations and agency guidelines regarding foreign collaborations and disclosures.
• Assisting in the development and implementation of strategies to protect sensitive research information and intellectual property from unauthorized access or exploitation by foreign entities.
• Monitoring developments in federal regulations and agency policies related to foreign influence in research, and advising university stakeholders on changes that may impact university operations and compliance requirements.
• Maintaining extensive contact with faculty, staff, sponsoring agencies and their legal counsel, the DoR, Office of Compliance, and other University units relating to research administration.
• Assisting with conflict-of-interest reviews for research activity.
• Serving as legal counsel to University research oversight committees including, but not limited to, the Institutional Review Board and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
• Providing guidance and direction to FAU personnel on decisions related to export control.
• Developing and advising the university's export control compliance program to ensure compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
• Developing and reviewing export control policies, procedures, guidelines and training including dissemination of information via website or other communication, to support compliance efforts and streamline processes for managing export-controlled activities throughout the University.
• Supporting various University committees and affiliated entities and performing general contract review and providing general transactional legal support, including for non-research or health related matters, legal research and any other duties assigned by the Vice President for Legal Affairs & General Counsel.

Supports Research, Sponsored Programs, Research Integrity, Technology Development, Comparative Medicine. Liaisons General Counsel, DoR re export control, foreign influence and compliance matters.