Overview
AgrStak's institutional partnership program is designed for one purpose: translating high-quality USDA agricultural research into decision tools that reach the farmers and practitioners who need it most. Partnerships allow us to develop new calculator models grounded in your institution's research while protecting both parties' data and intellectual property.
AgrStak is actively seeking first partnerships with USDA-ARS research centers and land-grant university extension services. If your institution is conducting USDA-funded agricultural research, we want to talk.
Who We Partner With
AgrStak's DSA framework is designed for the following institutional types:
USDA-ARS Research Centers
Collaborate to translate published and in-progress ARS research into validated calculator models. Joint attribution and co-development options available.
Land-Grant Universities
Partner with university research departments and extension programs to develop discipline-specific calculator storefronts based on faculty research.
Cooperative Extension Services
Integrate AgrStak calculators into extension educational programs and decision support toolkits delivered to county-level producers.
The DSA Process — Five Steps
From initial conversation to deployed calculator, the partnership process is designed to be transparent and straightforward. Most partnerships can be formalized within 60–90 days.
Initial Conversation
Contact AgrStak to discuss your institution's research, data types, and partnership goals. We'll identify which of our 431 existing models overlap with your work and where new models could be developed.
Letter of Intent (LOI)
AgrStak issues a non-binding Letter of Intent outlining the scope of collaboration, data types, intended calculator outputs, and preliminary IP terms. The LOI serves as the basis for DSA negotiation.
Data Sharing Agreement Execution
A formal DSA is drafted specifying data types, permitted uses, IP ownership, publication rights, security standards, breach notification, and retention terms. AgrStak's DSA template is available for institutional review prior to engagement — no surprises.
Secure Data Transfer
Research data is transferred via encrypted, approved channels documented in the DSA. AgrStak maintains a transfer log for all institutional data. Access is limited to Authorized Users named in the agreement.
Model Validation & Launch
New or updated calculator models are validated against your institution's research data before deployment. Attribution to your institution's research is included in the deployed calculator. A 30-day publication review window applies before AgrStak announces the partnership publicly.
Data Protections for Partners
AgrStak's DSA includes the following protections for institutional partner data — all enforceable provisions, not just policy statements:
- No AI training use — partner data is never used to train, fine-tune, or improve AI models without explicit written consent
- No third-party transmission — non-public research data is never sent through third-party AI APIs without written consent
- Access controls — institutional data access is limited to Authorized Users named in Exhibit B of the DSA
- 72-hour breach notification — AgrStak notifies the partner institution within 72 hours of any confirmed data incident involving Shared Data
- Confidentiality survival — confidentiality obligations survive termination of the DSA by five years
- Data return on exit — partner data is returned or destroyed within 30 days of DSA termination
- Federal data provisions — special handling provisions for any data subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 or FISMA
Complete data handling standards are documented in AgrStak's Data Governance Framework, which institutional partners can review in full before executing a DSA.
Intellectual Property & Attribution
Ownership
Both parties retain ownership of their pre-existing intellectual property. USDA research publications remain the property of the United States Government. Calculator models developed under the DSA are jointly owned as described in Article III of the agreement, with AgrStak's translation methodology remaining patent pending property of NumeriXGPT LLC.
Attribution Standards
- All deployed calculators cite the partner institution's source USDA publication in the model registry
- Partner institution name and researcher are credited on the calculator page
- Joint publications must acknowledge AgrStak's contribution with agreed-upon language
- AgrStak press releases about the partnership require 30-day advance review by the partner institution
Non-Compete
During the DSA term and for two years following termination, neither party will develop substantially similar competing tools using the other party's Confidential Information. This provision protects the research investment of both institutions.
Data Transfer Security Standards
All data exchanges under a DSA must use approved transfer methods. The following table summarizes approved and prohibited channels:
| Method | Status | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Encrypted SFTP | ✓ Approved | TLS 1.2+ encryption; AgrStak-provided credentials |
| OAuth 2.0 API | ✓ Approved | Token-based authentication; API documented in DSA Exhibit A |
| Encrypted Email | ✓ Approved (small datasets) | Files encrypted with AES-256; password shared via separate channel |
| Encrypted USB/Drive | ✓ Approved (with chain of custody) | Written chain of custody log required; drive encrypted |
| Unencrypted Email | ✗ Prohibited | Never permitted for Confidential or research data |
| Consumer Cloud Storage | ✗ Prohibited | Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive — not permitted for partner data |
| Consumer Messaging | ✗ Prohibited | iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack (free tier) — not permitted |
Start a Partnership
AgrStak's DSA template is available for institutional review before any commitment is made. We encourage procurement and legal teams to review it in full prior to our first conversation.
Ready to partner with AgrStak?
Contact us to begin the LOI process, request the DSA template, or schedule an initial conversation about your institution's research and how AgrStak can extend its reach.