Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) are agreements between a supplier and a user of research materials. MTAs govern the use of the transferred material and are necessary to protect the rights of both the provider and recipient and advance academic research.
Many MTAs include provisions that can cause the recipient to lose the rights to their creations or inventions. Additionally, these agreements may include language that can be used to prevent the recipient from publishing or even continuing his/her research. Accordingly, it is vital that you never enter into an MTA on your own behalf.
All MTAs must be processed by the Office of Research Development. Please note that the process is the same for both incoming and outgoing MTAs.
Complete an MTA Checklist. The Office of Research Development is available to assist in completing the Checklist.
To expedite the process please send the MTA Checklist along with either a copy of the Template MTA in MS Word (if you are providing material) or the Provider’s MTA (if you are receiving material), and the contact information for the appropriate representative who is responsible for negotiating the MTA to the Office of Research Development.
The MTA Checklist is reviewed by a research compliance officer while the MTA is reviewed by a staff member in the Office of Research Development.
After the MTA Checklist is approved by a research compliance officer and the terms of the MTA are finalized, the MTA will be forwarded in order to obtain the necessary signatures.
After all of the requisite signatures are obtained, the Office of Research Development will provide the recipient scientist with a copy of the fully executed MTA.
