Guidelines for Grant and Contract Management
301C. Material Transfer Agreements
A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a legal agreement entered into by a provider and a recipient of research material. The sharing of research products (including, for example, software, cell lines, transgenic animals, monoclonal antibodies) is critical to continuing progress in science, and it is the University’s intention to facilitate the exchange of material among academic research institutions. Such material may have commercial value. To protect this value, and the interests of all parties involved, these transfers are managed by means of a Material Transfer Agreement. This protects the rights of the different parties with regard to publication, freedom of research, confidentiality, and intellectual property.
University Research Administration reviews and approves incoming and outgoing MTAs with three exceptions:
- Outgoing MTAs from the University of Chicago to Industry, which are reviewed and approved by UChicagoTech
- Letter Agreement for Distribution of Biological Material - URA is sent a copy of the Letter Agreement when one is sent out
- Outgoing Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement
The most common types of MTAs are:
- Transfers between the University of Chicago and other academic
(nonprofit) institutions
- Outgoing -- Materials Transfer Agreement-For Non-Profit Institutions
- Outgoing/Incoming -- Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement -- Implementing Letter (may be used by signatories of Master UBMTA Agreement)
- Outgoing -- Letter Agreement for Distribution
of Biological Material (No routing of the Letter Agreement
through departmental, divisional or URA offices is necessary.
However, a copy of the Letter Agreement is required to be sent
or emailed to Denise
Butler in URA so that an institutional record of what materials
are being shared may be maintained.)
- Transfers from the University of Chicago to Industry
(Not to be used for reverse agreements - another entity giving material to the University.)
Outgoing, corporate Material transfer agreements from the University to industry are reviewed and approved by UChicagoTech. No routing of this MTA through departmental, divisional or URA offices is necessary. UChicagoTech will inform these offices of the MTA so that a record is maintained of the materials being shared with Industry.
- Transfers from Industry to the University of Chicago
Material transfers from industry to the University should be routed through the appropriate Department, the Division, and then to URA using the Material Transfer Agreement Routing Form.
References and Useful Sites
- Association Of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
- Signatories to the March 8, 1995 Master UBMTA Agreement
Revised 8/06
