Overview
A material transfer agreement (MTA) is a contract that governs the transfer of tangible research materials between two organizations, when the recipient intends to use the materials for his or her own research purposes. An MTA defines the rights of both the provider and the recipient with respect to the materials and any derivatives.
Biological materials, such as reagents, cell lines, plasmids and vectors are the most frequently transferred materials, but MTAs may also be used for other types of materials, such as chemical compounds and even some types of software and datasets.
- MTAs can be incoming (UW is receiving materials) or outgoing (UW is sending materials to another organization).
- Material transfer agreements are signed by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) and require a RAMP record.
- Templates for MTA records can be found on the SMPH Contracts Solution page.
Educational or Nonprofit Organizations (UBMTA)
Uniform biological materials transfer agreement (UBMTA)
UW-Madison, along with many other research institutions, is a signatory of the Uniform Biological Materials Transfer Agreement (UBMTA). If a collaborating institution is also a signatory of this agreement, materials can be transferred under the terms of the UBMTA upon execution of an implementing letter for the particular transfer.
- More information can be found on the SMPH Contracts page