Version 1.1 – For Academic and Research Partnerships
Date Initiated: [Insert Date]
Parties to this EC-MoU:
Participant A: [Full Name, Affiliation, Contact Info]
Participant B: [Full Name, Affiliation, Contact Info]
This EC-MoU exists to support and scaffold an early-stage, good-faith dialogue between the undersigned, who share overlapping interests in a broad area of academic or intellectual inquiry. The intent is to create a safe, flexible, and generative space for exploring questions, perspectives, and potential collaborative ideas without binding either party to specific outcomes.
We share an interest in the area of:
[e.g., “The role of cooperatives as alternative models for socio-economic governance.”]
Initial lenses or orientations:
Participant A: Emphasizes the implications of cooperative models when aggregated across grassroots contexts.
Participant B: Focuses on the theoretical and structural foundations underpinning cooperative frameworks.
These differing vantage points are seen as complementary and vital to a rich, multidimensional understanding of the topic.
We mutually affirm the following guiding values:
Curiosity with Integrity: We are committed to exploring ideas with honesty and intellectual rigor.
Respect for Perspective: Each participant’s lived experience, field expertise, and disciplinary lens are respected.
Process before Product: We are not yet pursuing joint outputs; instead, we prioritize discovery and exchange.
Consent and Clarity: No statements, drafts, or materials will be shared or made public without explicit mutual agreement.
We agree to maintain communication in at least the following ways:
Preferred Channels:
Email and messaging apps (e.g., Signal, Slack, or LINE) for logistical and light reflection.
Live calls (Zoom, in-person, etc.) at a rhythm of once per month minimum, with optional check-ins as needed.
Asynchronous brainstorming or shared annotations on digital platforms (e.g., Google Docs or Notion).
Optional, Contextual Tools:
Shared log of AI conversations or brainstorming exchanges (e.g., excerpts from ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) will be stored in a document labeled clearly with the date and author.
Co-managed document folder (e.g., Google Drive) may contain:
Reading reflections
Question lists
Topic maps
Draft diagrams or shared models
An “Idea Parking Lot” for unrefined or divergent concepts
Communications Review Rhythm:
Once every 2–3 months, the collaborators may dedicate a session to reviewing the collaboration’s trajectory, share evolving curiosities, and decide whether to deepen, narrow, or pause the engagement.
We agree to maintain a shared Google Document or equivalent space that serves as a reflective journal or evolving workspace. Each participant will sign their entries or additions with name and date.
If AI-generated outputs are added, we will note the tool used, the prompt (if appropriate), and the intent of including it.
No material from the shared workspace will be publicly shared, submitted for publication, or attributed in any venue without explicit permission.
This EC-MoU does not presume or require a publication, funding application, or public-facing product. However, should either party desire to evolve the partnership into a formal collaboration, a co-designed agreement or addendum will be drafted and mutually agreed upon.
This EC-MoU shall remain in effect for six (6) months, unless either party wishes to withdraw or revise.
A review conversation will be scheduled near the end of this term to determine continuation, transformation, or closure.
Signed (or Confirmed via Email Acknowledgment):
Participant A: ___________________________
Date: ___________________
Participant B: ___________________________
Date: ___________________