Master Research Agreements

A Master Research Agreement (MA) is a contract between GW and an external sponsor—such as a company, government agency, or nonprofit—that sets the general terms and conditions for conducting multiple research projects over time. Instead of negotiating a new contract for each individual project, the MA establishes a standard set of terms upfront, making future research projects faster and more efficient. When a new research project arises, a Task Order is required in order to begin the project under the MA. MAs are best when the Sponsor would like to establish a strong relationship with the university.

A MA file Agreement Number in myResearch will reflect the following format: MA######## (example MA00005555).

Process

• MAs require an approved Funding Proposal in myResearch. Information on how to initiate a Funding Proposal can be found here.
• Once the Funding Proposal is approved and OSP receives the award, the OSP Intake Team will create a MA file in myResearch (example MA00005555) and assign it to an OSP Contract Officer (CO).
• The CO reviews the information provided in myResearch and reaches out to the PI with any questions, as needed.
• The CO  acquires any relevant input and compliance approvals from the relevant internal stakeholders and negotiates the MA directly with the sponsor.
• The CO notifies the PI when the MA is fully executed, provided to the outside entity, and added to myResearch.
• To initiate a new research project under the MA,  the PI should submit a new Funding Proposal for the research project (with a Statement of Work and Budget).
  • Once the Funding Proposal for the Research Project is approved, the OSP Intake Team will create an SPA file in myResearch (example SPA00005555) for the Research Project, link it to the MA file, and assign it to the same CO that negotiated the MA.
  • The CO will work on the Task Order.
• The CO notifies the PI when the Task Order is fully executed, provided to the outside entity, and added to myResearch. At this time, the file will move to the Award Setup team to be set up in GW’s systems. For more information on this process, see here. 

Resources

• myResearch (GW Login required)

Frequently Asked Questions

If I do not have a Funding Proposal, how do I start that process?

Please reach out to your RST to start that process. See here.

Are all agreements that are master agreements for a sponsored project activity handled by the OSP Contracts and Award Acceptance Team?

• Generally, yes. Although there are a few exceptions:
  • The Contracts and Award Acceptance Team does not handle master clinical agreements. Please contact your RST for guidance.
  • The Contracts and Award Acceptance Team does not handle master commercial, vendor, or consulting agreements. Please contact your RST for guidance.

Once my MA is executed, what now?

For each Task Order, please work with the Sponsor to develop a research project. Please ensure that each research project has a Statement of Work and a Budget. Once complete, please submit a Funding Proposal for this specific project. Once the Funding Proposal has been approved, an SPA file will be created, and a Task Order will be assigned to the CO. Please see the Master Agreement Process above.

What do I do if the sponsor does not have an agreement template? 

We prefer to use GW templates, as they are specifically designed, taking our status as a non-profit research institution into account. Using our template will likely cut down on the time it takes to negotiate and sign the MA. If the sponsor does not have a template, we will be able to generate our own template internally and provide it to the sponsor when the Funding Proposal is approved. If you have any questions about our templates, please send an email to osp_contractsgwu [dot] edu (osp_contracts[at]gwu[dot]edu).

How long does it take to negotiate an MA?

It depends on the complexity of the grant or agreement and the project. Using our template will likely cut down on the time it takes to negotiate and sign the MA. Regardless, the CO will work diligently on the project and keep you informed on the progress. If you have a tight timeline for a specific reason, please make sure to let the CO know as soon as possible. We will request extensions, if needed, or do our best to adhere to reasonable timelines.

What is a Task Order?

A Task Order is a simple agreement template that states that the parties will apply the contractual terms in the MA to the research project. The Task Order template used for each research project was attached as Appendix to the MA. This process allows the CO to timely initiate a research project under an MA.

Support

• For questions regarding the process, the assigned Contract Officer is identified in the agreement record in myResearch.
• For additional questions, you may also send an email to the osp_contractsgwu [dot] edu (osp_contracts[at]gwu[dot]edu).