What is a VVSA?
Volunteer or Visiting Scholar Agreements (VVSAs) are agreements for visiting researchers or scholars who are not affiliated with ¹ÏÉñÍø, but who are granted access, either in-person or remotely, to ¹ÏÉñÍø research facilities, information, materials or other ¹ÏÉñÍø premises that are not typically available to the general public. The VVSA is between the volunteer or visiting scholar and ¹ÏÉñÍø. The purpose of the VVSA is to be mutually beneficial by supporting the instructional and research objectives of ¹ÏÉñÍø, while furthering the knowledge, experience and skills of the Volunteer or Visiting Scholar. The VVSAs do not establish monetary compensation to the volunteer or visiting Scholar.
When would you need a VVSA?
If a volunteer or visiting scholar is seeking access, either in-person or remotely, to ¹ÏÉñÍø research facilities, other ¹ÏÉñÍø premises, information, or materials that are not typically available to the general public, a VVSA should be entered by ¹ÏÉñÍø with the volunteer or visiting scholar.
How do you initiate a VVSA?
If you are an ¹ÏÉñÍø faculty member who will be hosting a Volunteer or Visiting Scholar, who will be relying on either an F-1, J-1, H-1B or other nonimmigrant visa for his or her visit, please contact the Visa & Immigration Service Advising Office at email: intlstu@odu.edu to initiate processing of the VVSA for final signature by the Office of Research.
If you are an ¹ÏÉñÍø faculty member who will be hosting a Volunteer or Visiting Scholar, who will not be relying on either an F-1, J-1, H-1B or other nonimmigrant visa for his or her visit, please submit online the .
What are selected practices and principles of VVSAs at ¹ÏÉñÍø?
Proprietary and Confidential Information
The volunteer or visiting scholar must agree to use all reasonable diligence to prevent disclosure of ¹ÏÉñÍø's proprietary and confidential material to any third party, unless so authorized in writing by ¹ÏÉñÍø. The volunteer of visiting scholar shall not, directly or through others, allow such proprietary and confidential information to be disclosed, copyrighted, published, incorporated into any patent application or used for any purpose other than that explicitly allowed in writing by ¹ÏÉñÍø.
Intellectual Property
The volunteer or visiting scholar must promptly disclose in writing to ¹ÏÉñÍø any intellectual property created (conceived and/or reduced to practice) as a result of his/her work at ¹ÏÉñÍø. He or she must assign to ¹ÏÉñÍø all rights, title and interest in any intellectual property created (conceived and/or reduced to practice) as a result of his/her work at ¹ÏÉñÍø. The volunteer or visiting scholar must agree to not file for any patent(s) related to his/her work at ¹ÏÉñÍø without the written permission of ¹ÏÉñÍø. He or she must agree to execute and deliver to ¹ÏÉñÍø or its legal representatives any and all papers, instruments or affidavits required to apply for, obtain, maintain, issue and enforce any application, invention and/or Letters Patent and equivalents thereof. Each party shall retain for itself all rights, title and interest in any pre-existing background property owned by that party.
Assumption of Risk
The volunteer or visiting scholar may potentially work with dangerous equipment or materials, such as but not limited to, toxic chemicals and/or biological materials, high voltage electrical equipment, electrical plasma, and radioactive materials at ¹ÏÉñÍø while conducting experiments or other research, which can cause deterioration of bodily functions and organs, severe physical injury and/or death. The volunteer or visiting scholar must assume the risk and agree to hold ¹ÏÉñÍø, its employees and others using the research facilities harmless.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about VVSAs?
No, the VVSA does not by itself create an employment relationship between ¹ÏÉñÍø and the volunteer or visiting scholar.
The following four signatures at ¹ÏÉñÍø are required (in the following sequence):
- Professor hosting the Volunteer or Visiting Scholar
- Chair of Department hosting the Volunteer or Visiting Scholar
- Dean of College
- Vice President for Research (or his/her designee within the Office of Research)
No portion of the research at ¹ÏÉñÍø or with ¹ÏÉñÍø facilities, materials or information can be published by the volunteer or visiting scholar without the express written permission of the Vice President of Research of ¹ÏÉñÍø.
Yes, ¹ÏÉñÍø shall be free to publish the results of the research participated by the volunteer or visiting scholar. However, any publications shall give appropriate recognition to the contributions made by the volunteer or visiting scholar.
