Motorola Mobility’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group is entering into a  collaboration agreement with Carnegie Mellon University and seven other top U.S. research universities. The Multi-University Research Agreement (MURA) is expected to streamline the generation of new joint research projects and closer cooperation on the development of  new technologies.

The use of a single, universal agreement with all eight universities will enable Motorola’s ATAP group and researchers at these universities to engage in research projects across a wide spectrum, from a single university researcher on a short-term research project to a larger, cross-disciplinary and multi-university research effort.

Kaigham J. Gabriel  (Vice president and deputy director, ATAP, Motorola Mobility):  The multi-university agreement is really the first of its kind. Such an agreement has the potential to be a national model for how companies and universities work together to speed innovation and U.S. competitiveness, while staying true to their individual missions and cultures.

In addition to Motorola and Carnegie Mellon, the signatories include California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Texas A&M University and Virginia Tech.

Motorola Mobility is owned by Google.