Membership Model and Benefits
SecureAmerica Institute has a three-tiered membership structure based on best practices of the Manufacturing USA Institutes and provides simple but effective ways to ensure participation resiliency by stimulating active engagement of all members through cost-share contributions. All tiers of membership are open to industry, academic institutions and industrial associations.
| Membership Level1 | Membership Cost2,3 | Voting Membership | Intellectual Property (IP) Rights4, 5, 6, 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $200,000 | Yes | Non-exclusive royalty free (NERF) for commercial use to all co-funded foreground IP for commercial use |
| Tier 2 | $50,000 | Yes | Non-exclusive royalty bearing (NERB) to all co-funded foreground IP for commercial use |
| Tier 3 | $5,000 | No | Co-funded foreground IP for research and development, and educational purposes |
Membership Model
Specific membership benefits are shown below. Depending on the type and level of membership, organizations have the potential to participate as a voting member (VM), serve on the governing board (GB), participate on one of the several working groups (WGs) and sponsor small/medium businesses (SMEs) for membership. In accordance with the SecureAmerica IP Management Plan, depending on membership levels, members have the ability to obtain NERF or NERB consortium developed intellectual property (CDIP) rights, with all members having access to CDIP for internal research purposes.
| Membership Benefit | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participate in projects and serving as lead | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | X Included benefit |
| Attend member-only events (e.g., meetings, workshops, training) | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | X Included benefit |
| Participate in roadmap formulation | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | X Included benefit |
| Serve on WGs | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | X Included benefit |
| Use NERF license for internal research | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | X Included benefit |
| Chair WGs | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | – Not included Not included |
| Membership voting rights | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | – Not included Not included |
| GB seat | X Included benefit | X Included benefit | – Not included |
| Use of NERB license for commercialization | – Not included | X Included benefit | – Not included |
| Sponsorship of five supply chain SMEs for Tier 3 membership | X Included benefit | – Not included | – Not included |
| Use of NERF license for commercialization | X Included benefit | – Not included | – Not included |
Notes:
- Participating government organizations as Tier 2 members: IP terms for inventions per government contract terms, NERF to all co-funded foreground IP for research and educational use only
- Cash, in-kind or volunteer services if qualified as reducing a direct cost to the operations budgets or a project funding plan
- Member contribution acceptable as in-kind or volunteer services if qualified as reducing a direct cost to the operations budgets or a project funding plan
- Ownership of IP follows inventorship. IP licenses issued by owner at commercial rates except as required by membership agreement for government sponsored co-funded inventions
- Background IP to be reported at time of project team formation along with access rights and limitations
- Project IP rights as agreed upon by project participants for disposition of IP rights among project participants
- Availability of industry/government co-funded projects foreground IP is described in the membership agreement
Cost Share
Investment in the SecureAmerica Institute is shared among all members. Support can be cash or in-kind contributions such as:
- Labor in support of institute operations such as roadmap participation, marketing and business development, education and workforce development, and delivery
- Labor in support of institute projects such as technical personnel performing project research
- Facility costs (rent, access, etc.)
- Software licenses
- Equipment donation or use
Membership Application
To apply for membership in the SecureAmerica Institute, please fill out the Membership Request Form:
Upon receipt, the SecureAmerica Institute membership director will contact you for additional information and will guide you through the partnership agreement process.
