Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed
Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed, located near Vernon, is a self-supporting, nonprofit unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
About Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed
Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed, located near Vernon, is a self-supporting, nonprofit unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Essentially, Foundation Seed serves as the liaison between AgriLife Research plant breeding programs and seed companies interested in licensing plant varieties.
Foundation Seed also produces and markets genetically pure seeds of new cultivars developed by AgriLife Research scientists and helps produce and distribute vegetatively propagated plant materials.
In addition, Foundation Seed provides production and seed conditioning services to public and private breeding programs.
Commercialization
Foundation Seed aids in handling business aspects of research commercialization, allowing plant breeders and scientists to concentrate on research.
Funding & Licensing
Foundation Seed funds its operations via sales and services. Funds are also distributed for continuing research into new, high-yielding, better-adapted crop varieties.
Foundation Seed works closely with various entities of Texas A&M AgriLife and The Texas A&M University System such as:
Texas A&M Innovation brings many plant material improvements to market by assisting with licensing terms as well as drafting noncommercial (evaluation) and commercial license agreements, material transfer agreements, and production contracts with private growers.
Texas A&M AgriLife Corporate Engagement and Research Support to help with research funding such as sponsored research agreements and public/private partnerships with seed companies.
Licensing Management
Foundation Seed manages the executed license agreements and monitors compliance and infringement issues. Coupled with handling its own related fees and royalties on licensed plant materials, it also provides royalty collection services for several other land-grant institutions that market plant materials in the southwestern U.S.
Additionally, Foundation Seed serves as the sales and marketing vehicle for USDA Plant Materials Centers in Texas.