Principal investigators cannot sign an MTA on behalf of the university. The agreement still exists between Institution A on behalf of its Principal Investigator and Institution B on behalf of its Principal Investigator, and the only persons who may sign the agreements are the authorized officials of the Institution. Outgoing ATMs that deliver Yale documents to commercial and for-profit institutions are negotiated by the Office of Cooperative Research (OCR). Inquiries should be directed to OCR@yale.edu or call OCR at 203-436-8096 (Central Campus) or 203-785-6209 (School of Medicine). See: ocr.yale.edu. Use of model agreements A long-recognized strategy to reduce costs and negotiation time is the use of standard or model agreements. In 1995, the NIH published the first and only widely accepted model agreements for material transfers, the NIH Simple Letter Agreement for the Transfer of Materials (SLA) and the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA), as well as guidelines for the transfer of finding aids. The NIH urged fellows to ensure that the unique research resources resulting from NIH-funded research are made available to the scientific research community, either by not entering into a formal agreement or under conditions or agreements that are no more restrictive than ESL for most materials. a requirement renewed by NRC. Contact the Environmental Health and Safety Board for information on how to process incoming and outgoing materials. A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a legally binding contract for the transfer of physical research material between organizations. MTAs define the rights and obligations of the provider and recipient of the transferred documents, as well as the results of the research that uses them, including: MTAs protect Thomas Jefferson University`s intellectual property rights over the results of research obtained with Jefferson`s resources.

An MTA can also provide Jefferson with valuable protection against liability for transferred records as well as the rights of researchers to publish research results conducted using third-party materials. A rapid response to a public health emergency may depend on the ability to move relevant samples and related data from one location to another. The transfer of these samples and related data should be as simple and transparent as possible, while protecting the interests of the owners of the samples and related data. Increased awareness of the potential value of certain samples and related data has increased the demand for these safeguards. ATMs play an important role in enabling transfers and subsequent use by the recipient, while protecting the interests of the assignee. A summary of why these agreements are important and a discussion of some of the challenges associated with their use can be found at: Science Commons: Material Transfer Agreement ProjectMaterial transfer agreements are often entered into to clarify the expectations of the parties. Equally important, they provide a written record of the origin of the materials. In addition, in the case of infectious diseases and hazardous substances, they will help determine the expectations of the parties in terms of liability and who is responsible for certain risks that may arise during the use of the equipment. Ultimately, a decision must be made as to whether the goal of the MTA process is to make it smooth, fast and efficient. or to ensure that it is as beneficial as possible for those who need it most. Although the objectives of an MTA are very different, the best outcome will take into account both objectives and create a balance that meets different needs and communities. The recent Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) with Ebola virus disease in West Africa and Zika virus in Latin America have highlighted the many challenges in negotiating MPAs in an emergency context and have demonstrated a clear need for agreed basic principles and scalable and sustainable approaches to MPA negotiations (for more information, see: General principles).

Overcoming Barriers to the Transfer of Published Research Material The barriers that ATMs can represent in facilitating the flow of published research papers between not-for-profit organizations have long been known. As the NIH has pointed out, any iteration in a negotiation over MTA terms delays the time when a research tool can be used in the lab. Hundreds of thousands of MTAs are negotiated each year between non-profit institutions around the world, imposing a significant administrative burden on universities and increased costs associated with low realized value. A recent call to action was issued by the U.S. National Research Council (NRC), which identified ATMs as long and time-consuming obstacles to advancing research. Unless there is a third party ownership right, intra-UNH transfers of material are not subject to ATM. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Senior Vice-President, Research (SVPR) reserves all rights, powers and responsibilities to protect the interests of UNH as set forth in the UNH Intellectual Property Policy, other applicable policies and as agreed with other UNH offices and committees. Therefore, the SVPR reserves the right to refuse any request to sign an MTA.

Thomas Jefferson University guidelines require that only faculty members be allowed to receive documents through an MTA. If the candidate holds this position, they may submit an MTA application on behalf of a lead examiner, but the certifications requested in the Agreement Portal Admission Form must be signed by a faculty member. All MTA applications received without certification submitted or signed by faculty members will be rejected. .