• USB Policy

  • USB Policies

    • Purpose
    • Scope
    • Terminology
    • Responsibility

  • Accounting

    • Financial Reporting

  • Anti-Harassment Policy

  • Bank and Investment Accounts

  • Board Budgeting and Allocation

    • Budgeting
    • Allocations
    • Projects

  • Board Director Expense Reimbursement

  • Board Records

  • Chairperson's Expense Reimbursement

  • Communications Standards

  • Compliance Officer

  • Compliance Reviews and Reporting

  • Conflict of Interest

  • Contract Authority

    • Signature Authority

  • Election of Directors, Officers and Executive Committee

    • Nomination Procedure – Officers and Executive Committee Members
    • Election Procedure – Officers and Executive Committee Members
    • Executive Committee Voting Rights
    • External Liaison

  • Family Member Compensation

  • Fund Reserve

  • Information Technology

    • Backup and Recovery
    • Acceptable Use of Computer Equipment
    • Email Communication

  • Insurance

  • Intellectual Property Rights

  • Investments

  • Minutes

  • Pecuniary Rewards

  • Primary Contractors

  • Purchase of Property/Endowments

    • Purchase of Property
    • Endowments

  • QSSB Reviews and Reporting

  • Roles and Responsibilities

  • Social Media

  • Solicitation of Funds

  • Sponsorship Policy

  • Travel Expense Reimbursements

  • Unscheduled Expenditures

  • USB Credit Cards

  • USB Liaison

  • Vendor/Contract Management and Reimbursement Policy

    • Administrative Requirements
    • Anti-Harrassment
    • Whistleblower Policy
    • Program Requirements
    • USB Travel Guidelines for Contractors

  • Appendix A – Delegation of Authority

  • Appendix B – Records Management Policy

  • Appendix C – Code of Conduct

  • Appendix D – AMS Directive 2210.2

  • Appendix E – Roles and Responsibilities

  • Appendix F – Permanent Bylaws of the United Soybean Board

  • Appendix G – Social Media Policy

  • Resources

• USB Reference Guide

  • Purpose

  • Scope

  • Terminology

  • USB Communication Standards Manual

  • Confidentiality Agreement

  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

  • Contractor Agreement Template

  • Contractor Services Handbook

  • Exemption from Federal Income Tax

  • USDA Guidelines for AMS Oversight of Commodity Research and Promotion Programs

  • Long-Range Strategic Plan

• QSSB Manual

  • Purpose

  • Scope

  • Terminology

  • Responsibility

  • Election of the Board of Directors

    • Nomination Procedure – Board of Directors
    • Election Procedure – Board of Directors
    • Nominee's Agreement to Serve

  • QSSB Annual Financial Report Content Guideline

    • Annual Audit Report
    • Sample: Negative Assurances Report
    • Sample: Negative Assurances Paragraph

  • Purchase of Property/Endowments

  • QSSB Compliance

    • Annual Financial Report Guidelines

  • QSSB Compliance Requirements

    • Internal Controls
    • Collections Compliance
    • Travel Reimbursements
    • Contract Compliance
    • Program Expenditures
    • Internal Control Guidelines
    • QSSB Segregation
    • QSSB Cash Controls

  • QSSB Marketing Plans/Budgets

  • QSSB Policies and Procedures

  • QSSB Reviews and Reporting

    • General
    • Conducting Compliance Reviews
    • Reporting
    • Resolution
    • Financial Statement

  • QSSB Refund Request

  • Organic Soybean Certification Procedures

    • Organic Soybean Exemption Request Process

  • QSSB Standard Contract

  • Appendix A – QSSB Contract Guide

    • Model Research Funding Agreement
    • Research Funding Agreement Explanation
    • Model Vendor Agreement
    • Vendor Agreement Explanation

  • Appendix B – Nominations Agreement Form

    • Nomination Agreement Form

  • Appendix C – QSSB Financial Statement Audit Checklist

  • Appendix D – AMS Directive 2210.2

  • Appendix E – Purchase of Property/Endowments

    • Purchase of Property
    • Endowments

  • Appendix F – QSSB Provisions for USB Projects

    • QSSB Provisions for USB Projects

  • Appendix G – USB and QSSB Agreement Template

  • Appendix H – First Steps for QSSB/USB Board Requirements for Compliance Collections

  • Appendix I – USDA Remittance Settlement Agreement

  • Appendix J – State QSSB to QSSB Funds Transmittal Form

  • Appendix K – QSSB to USB Funds Transmittal Form

  • Appendix L – QSSB Refund Letters

    • Exhibit A – Refund Restriction Letter from the QSSB to Producer
    • Exhibit B – Cover Letter for Producer Refund Request
    • Exhibit C – Refund Letter from Producer to QSSB
    • Exhibit D – Producer Refund Procedures
    • Exhibit E – Refund Letter From QSSB to Producer

  • Appendix M – Schedule of Contracts/Grants in Process Template

  • Appendix N – Schedule of Activities Template

  • Appendix O – Sample Code of Conduct Policy

  • Appendix P – Sample Whistleblower Policy

  • Appendix Q – Sample Confidentiality Agreement

  • Appendix R – Sample Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

Appendix E – Purchase of Property/Endowments > Purchase of Property

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The Act and Order require that property purchased with Board funds remain the property of USB or QSSBs. This includes intellectual property. However, universities may maintain ownership in intellectual property, provided that USB or QSSB maintains certain rights with regard to the intellectual property. These rights include an irrevocable paid-up license to use the information, certain sublicensing or march-in rights to ensure exploitation and a sharing of royalties or other benefits commensurate with the proportional contribution of each party to the research. The USDA Office of General Counsel has approved provisions in research agreements that allow ownership to reside with the universities while retaining for USB or QSSBs licensing interests and a share of royalties. Therefore USB and QSSB agreements should provide for the following:

A. That ownership of Inventions be in the name of the funding entity.

B. If as a result of discussion with a university, it is determined that ownership must reside in the University for the Project to be conducted, then ownership may reside in the university subject to the following.

1. That the funding entity receive a nonexclusive paid-up license to use and sublicense the invention; or

2. If the right to sublicense cannot be negotiated, then USB/QSSBs shall have the right to require the university or licensees of the university to issue licenses to eligible parties to ensure exploitation (march-in rights).

C. Where USB/QSSBs are providing all funding for a project, any royalty income resulting from the project should be retained by the USB/QSSB, but where funding is provided by another party (including contribution of indirect costs by the university), the agreement shall include a sharing of royalties based upon the pro rata contribution by each party.

USB strongly discourages the funding of equipment. Checkoff funds can be used to purchase equipment in connection with a specific project where such equipment is necessary to complete the project. However, the USB or QSSB board must retain ownership of the equipment if it funds 100% of the equipment for the duration of the research period. At the conclusion of the research project, the university may be given the first opportunity to purchase the equipment at fair market value. USB Policy defines “depreciable capital equipment” as any tangible property with a value of $2,000.00 or more and a useful life of more than one year. QSSBs may negotiate with a university what the definition of “depreciable capital equipment” is.