Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs)

The George Washington University regularly engages in the transfer of scientific materials to or from other academic, non-profit research institutions, and sometimes for-profit entities. Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) are legally binding contracts between GW and the provider, for the incoming transfer of materials, or receiver, for the outgoing transfer of materials.

The purpose of an MTA is to protect the intellectual property and ownership rights, as well as other rights, of the provider while permitting use of the material for the receiver. Failure to have an executed MTA or follow the terms of an MTA could result in significant liabilities, impact intellectual property rights, and affect GW’s right to publish.

A Material Transfer Agreement file Agreement Number in myResearch will reflect the following format: MTA######## (example MTA00005555).

Process

• The GW Principal Investigator (PI) initiates the material transfer process for incoming and outgoing material transfer by creating an MTA in myResearch. Please use the Guide for Initiating Nonfinancial Agreements in myResearch to aid you in this process.
• Once the PI submits the MTA via myResearch and it receives a myResearch Agreement Number (example MTA00005555), the MTA is assigned 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 MTA directly with the outside entity.
• The CO may request that the PI read and acknowledge the terms of the MTA prior to final execution of the MTA.
• The CO notifies the PI when the MTA is fully executed, provided to the outside entity, and input into myResearch. At this time, the PI may transfer or receive the materials covered by the MTA. 

Resources

• Guide for Initiating Nonfinancial Agreements in myResearch (GW Login required,PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am not faculty, how do I submit an agreement?

If you are not a faculty member, please have your faculty advisor submit the request on your behalf.

Do I need an MTA for both incoming and outgoing materials?

Yes, GW requires an MTA for both incoming and outgoing materials. Please use the Guide for Initiating Nonfinancial Agreements in myResearch to aid you in initiating and submitting a request for an MTA.

If I do not have an agreement template, can I still submit my agreement? 

OSP has approved templates that we prefer to use. Please check the box that indicates that the agreement will be internally generated when initiating the non-financial agreement in myResearch.

What do I do if the outside entity has provided me specific instructions for communications?

If the outside entity has specific instructions on how to communicate with it, please make sure to provide these in myResearch when initiating and submitting your request. 

What do I do if the outside entity has not provided me with an MTA template?

No problem. GW has its own MTA templates. When initiating and submitting your request for an MTA via myResearch, please indicate that you would like the template generated internally when prompted.

Is there a way to expedite the MTA process?

Yes, GW is a signatory to the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA) charter.  The most efficient transfer of materials will take place with other institutions that are signatories to the UBMTA charter. Transfers to such institutions require only signing of the Implementation Letter certifying that the recipient organization has accepted and signed an unmodified copy of the UBMTA Master Agreement.

The Association of University Technology Managers' (AUTM) website provides the full list of participating entities here: Master UBMTA Agreement Signatories 

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).