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End of the Contract 47 Section 11 Escalation – the same process applies but rather than the Project Managers meeting again the question is referred through a hierarchy of higher and higher officers within each of the collaborators where a different or less emotive perspective may apply. Sometimes Project Managers are embarrassed if matters have to be referred to their superiors and so this can focus attention on finding a solution. All these mechanisms are generally artificial and mechanistic. Whilst they may be useful as a means of encouraging the participants to consider matters in a more sensible light the escalation route is probably the most sensible option. Dispute mechanisms are sometimes left silent. This is on the basis that the threat of going to court with the costs and expense of litigation is quite a powerful driver to "bang heads together" to resolve matters. The ultimate and final deadlock/dispute resolution is through the exit of one or more collaborators or through termination of the Research Contract. Exit/Termination An important consideration when establishing a collaboration is in fact when and how it is intended it will come to an end. One important consideration is whether the research collaboration can only exist because of the expertise or assets of those particular participants. Each collaboration will have a natural lifespan. In the case of specific project collaborations this may be as simple as stating that once the specific research has been completed, the Research Agreement will end. For more complex projects where they do not have a single specific and time-limited goal the situation is rather more complex and there are several outcomes which may have to be taken into account. It is important to remember that the Project is not just the research itself but also the writing up of any reports, possibly the dissemination of results, and the making of any final payments: any period in the Research Contract needs to make this clear. There may come a point in the Project where any collaborator can withdraw by serving notice on the others. Whether this should end the whole Project will vary from case to case. You also need to consider how long a period of notice is appropriate to wind down the Project or find a substitute collaborator.