Overview
VacStak's institutional partnership program is designed for one purpose: translating high-quality USDA-APHIS and NAHMS veterinary vaccine research into economic decision tools that reach the livestock producers, aquaculture operators, and veterinarians who need them most. Partnerships allow us to develop new VS-series calculator models grounded in your institution's research while protecting both parties' data and intellectual property.
VacStak is actively seeking first partnerships with USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services, NAHMS program offices, and veterinary school extension programs. If your institution is conducting USDA-funded animal health or vaccine economics research, we want to talk.
VacStak's DSA framework is a direct extension of the AgrStak DSA program operated by NumeriXGPT LLC. Institutions already partnered with AgrStak may execute a VacStak addendum without re-negotiating core legal terms.
Who We Partner With
VacStak's DSA framework is designed for the following institutional types:
USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services
Collaborate to translate published and in-progress APHIS research — including NAHMS surveillance data and disease incidence reports — into validated vaccine ROI calculator models.
Veterinary Schools & Colleges
Partner with university veterinary medicine programs and animal science departments to develop species-specific VS-series storefronts based on faculty research and clinical data.
Extension & Producer Organizations
Integrate VacStak VS calculators into extension animal health programs and decision support toolkits delivered to county-level livestock producers and aquaculture operations.
The DSA Process — Five Steps
From initial conversation to deployed calculator, the partnership process is transparent and straightforward. Most VacStak partnerships can be formalized within 60–90 days.
Initial Conversation
Contact VacStak to discuss your institution's veterinary vaccine research, data types, and partnership goals. We'll identify which of our 16 existing VS models overlap with your work and where new species-specific or disease-specific models could be developed.
Letter of Intent (LOI)
VacStak issues a non-binding Letter of Intent outlining the scope of collaboration, animal species, 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 (NAHMS surveillance data, vaccine efficacy parameters, morbidity/mortality rates), permitted uses, IP ownership, publication rights, security standards, breach notification, and retention terms. VacStak's DSA template is available for institutional review prior to engagement.
Secure Data Transfer
Research data is transferred via encrypted, approved channels documented in the DSA. VacStak maintains a transfer log for all institutional data. Access is limited to Authorized Users named in the agreement.
Model Validation & Launch
New or updated VS calculator models are validated against your institution's research data before deployment. Attribution to your institution's research is included on the deployed calculator page and in the VS model registry. A 30-day publication review window applies before VacStak announces the partnership publicly.
Data Protections for Partners
VacStak's DSA includes the following protections for institutional partner data — all enforceable provisions, not just policy statements:
- No AI training use — partner data, including NAHMS surveillance data and unpublished vaccine efficacy parameters, is never used to train, fine-tune, or improve AI models without explicit written consent
- No third-party transmission — non-public veterinary 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 — VacStak 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 data subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, FISMA, or USDA-APHIS data use agreements
- NAHMS data handling — all NAHMS survey data handled in accordance with USDA confidentiality requirements applicable to individually identifiable farm-level data
Complete data handling standards are documented in VacStak'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-APHIS and NAHMS 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 VacStak's translation methodology remaining patent pending property of NumeriXGPT LLC (US App 63/970,943).
Attribution Standards
- All deployed VS calculators cite the partner institution's source USDA-APHIS or NAHMS publication in the VS model registry
- Partner institution name and lead researcher are credited on the calculator page and in the Detailed Report header
- Joint publications must acknowledge VacStak's contribution with agreed-upon language
- VacStak 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 VacStak DSA must use approved transfer methods. The following table summarizes approved and prohibited channels:
| Method | Status | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Encrypted SFTP | ✓ Approved | TLS 1.2+ encryption; VacStak-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 veterinary 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
VacStak'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 VacStak?
Contact us to begin the LOI process, request the DSA template, or schedule an initial conversation about your institution's veterinary research and how VacStak can extend its reach to producers.