Date: July 15th, 2023
Author: @manuelolariu

Manuel Olariu MoonDAO

Erik van Winkle DeSci Labs

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Partnership

1. Purpose

1.1. The purpose of this partnership is to foster collaboration and innovation in space science and engineering, with a particular focus on decentralized science initiatives and web3 tooling. The aim is to leverage the expertise and resources of both organizations to advance the frontiers of space exploration and further our shared mission.

2. Scope of Collaboration

2.1. Academic Partnerships: MoonDAO and DeSci Labs will explore academic collaborations to promote scientific research, knowledge sharing, and technology transfer in the field of space exploration.

This will include joint research projects, exchange programs, and academic publications.

2.2. Scientific & Engineering Tasks for Lunar Settlement: Both parties will work together to provide members with the tools to work on science & engineering tasks necessary for the development of a lunar settlement.

This may involve designing infrastructure, systems, and technologies to support scientific discoveries for a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

3. Specific Projects

3.1. Open/ Decentralized Science: Community Utilization of DeSci Nodes and other present and future products of DeSci Labs.

  • What DeSci Labs offers
    • Access to DeSci Nodes publishing tools for MoonDAO members 
  • Benefits for MoonDAO
    • Integrate scientific publishing tools like a Decentralized Journal 
    • Implement a peer-review process for papers
    • Early adopters for DeSci tools

4. Intellectual Property

4.1. Both parties acknowledge that any intellectual property resulting from joint research or collaborative projects will be shared in accordance with mutually agreed terms, ensuring fair and equitable distribution of rights and benefits.

5. Governance and Partnership Onboarding

5.1. Both parties will actively participate in the governance process of the partnership. This includes regular meetings, joint decision-making, and the establishment of a point of contact to ensure continuous mutual benefits and project selection, evaluation, and implementation together with the community and governance systems in place.

6. Duration and Termination

6.1. This MOU shall be effective from the date of signature and remain in force for a period of 1 year, unless terminated earlier by mutual agreement or due to exceptional circumstances.

6.2. Either party may terminate this agreement by providing 30 days’ written notice to the other party, detailing the reasons for termination.

This MOU is not legally binding and does not create any financial obligations or liabilities between the parties. It serves as a preliminary document for expressing the parties’ intent to collaborate and establishes a framework for further negotiations and agreements.

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