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Boeing Advanced Research Collaboration @ UW

Project Contracting & Support at BARC

BARC operates as a strategic partnership uniting Boeing engineers, University of Washington College of Engineering faculty, and multidisciplinary researchers to accelerate innovation in aircraft manufacturing. To streamline project lifecycles, BARC works directly with the UW Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), CoMotion, and the College of Engineering. All project agreements are governed efficiently under a pre-established Master Research and Services Agreement (MRSA) between Boeing and the University of Washington. Under this framework, the UW has established pre-negotiated, dedicated workflows with OSP alongside specialized UW intellectual property (IP) and contracting policies tailored specifically for Boeing collaborations.

The UW-Boeing Project Workflow

When a new research project is identified, the proposal and contracting process follows a dedicated pipeline coordinated by the UW Boeing Focal Point to minimize administrative overhead and ensure full institutional compliance. 

Step-by-Step Contracting Process

[Step 1: Intake & SOW]         ──>        [Step 2: Budget & SAGE]         ──>        [Step 3: Proposal eGC1]
                                                                                        │
[Step 6: Award Setup Request - OSP gets signatures] <── [Step 5: Boeing Approval] <── [Step 4: OSP Review]

  1. Intake & Statement of Work (SOW): Boeing issues a Solicitation/Request for Quotes (RFQ) and a draft Project Agreement directly to the UW Boeing Focal Point (tbc-collab@uw.edu). The Focal Point forwards these materials to the Principal Investigator (PI) while introducing the baseline contracting requirements and processes. The PI’s grants manager is CCed on communication for their visibility

  2. Proposal Preparation: The PI reviews the SOW and fills in the project agreement. The BARC Program Manager works with PI to prepare budget and justification

  3. Route SAGE eGC1: BARC Program Manager works with the PI and the UW Boeing Focal Point to route a proposal eGC1 through SAGE, attaching the SOW, budget, and budget justification. The BARC Organization Code is CC104497 for eGC1.
  4. Initial OSP Review: Once internal campus routing is complete and OSP approves the eGC1, the UW Focal Point returns the finalized budget, justification, and project agreement directly to Boeing for formal corporate review.
  5. Boeing Execution: Boeing reviews and approves the technical budget, signs the Project Agreement partially, and returns the partially executed document to the UW Focal Point.

  6. Award Setup Request (ASR): The BARC Program Manager initiates an Award Setup Request (ASR) in SAGE, attaching the partially signed agreement, SOW, and budget justification. OSP finalizes the contract by securing all remaining UW authorized signatures and returning the fully executed agreement back to Boeing to activate the project.

  7. Ongoing Technical Support & Project Tracking: Following formal award setup, BARC provides continuous technical support and operational infrastructure for the duration of the project. PIs and teams participate in structured weekly sync meetings with Boeing counterparts to monitor execution milestones, review deliverables, and address technical barriers. To initiate onboarding or request specialized lab resource support, the BARC Director’s office will engage with teams to complete the formal Project Intake Form and set up access to the BARC space, technical support, and other resources.

Critical Compliance & IP Guardrails

Because industry-sponsored research requires precise legal structure, PIs must account for two primary compliance components during the proposal phase. Institutional guidance regarding these requirements is maintained directly under the OSP Sponsor Guidance for Boeing Research Services.

1. UW Background Intellectual Property (IP)

If a proposed project builds upon or utilizes pre-existing intellectual property developed in your lab, you must contact CoMotion before listing it or sharing details with Boeing.

  • Scope: This restriction applies exclusively to Identified Background IP originating from the PI’s lab.

  • Clearance Requirement: Any proposed Background IP must be formally disclosed to and cleared for use by CoMotion.

  • Institutional Hold: OSP will not endorse proposal materials or sign Project Agreements containing Background IP without explicit written clearance and concurrence from CoMotion.

2. Proprietary Information Agreements (PIA)

If Boeing requires a non-disclosure or proprietary information agreement to exchange technical data prior to a formal contract award:

  • Do not sign individual corporate NDAs.

  • Route the draft PIA through SAGE using the Non-Award Agreement (NAA) eGC1 pathway.

  • Include a clear explanation of the specific information to be shared along with all required documentation.

  • Note: If the technical data exchange involves UW Background IP, CoMotion review is still strictly required before submission.

Contact & Pre-Award Support

For hands-on assistance with budget preparation, pre-award compliance checkpoints, or navigating the SAGE ecosystem for Boeing-sponsored projects, contact the central coordination office:

  • UW Boeing Focal Point: tbc-collab@uw.edu

  • BARC Leadership:

    • Professor Xu Chen, Director of BARC

    • Shannon Dong, Associate Director of BARC Lab