Material Transfer Agreements

A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a contract that governs the transfer of tangible research materials between two organizations — from the owner or authorized licensee to another organization — for research or evaluative purposes.

The MTA defines the rights of 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 also may be used for other types of materials, such as knockout mice, chemical compounds, and even some types of software.

For more information or if you have questions or concerns, please contact Stephanie Deasey at 410-706-2463.

'Outgoing' materials - sending materials to an external organization ▾

MTA Questionnaire and UMB Non-Profit Outgoing MTA

To access the questionnaire, click the link above, or go to the myUMB Portal and select UMBiz from the Administrative Systems menu.

The Center for Clinical Trials and Corporate Contracts (CCT) wants to expedite the routine requests you receive for your tangible materials. If you are sending your nonproprietary material out to another nonprofit institution, you may use the UMB Nonprofit Outgoing MTA. The recipient may print out this convenient MTA, have it signed by their institution, and return it to CCT. CCT will forward it to you, and you will be able to rapidly respond to requests for your material.

For materials that are considered proprietary, the CCT wants to maximize UMB's ability to protect your material and any resulting technology. Please provide the information requested in the MTA questionnaire. Your answers to the questionnaire will give CCT much of the information we will need to begin the MTA process. CCT may contact you to gain further information.

'Incoming' materials - receiving materials from an external organization ▾

MTA Questionnaire

To access the questionnaire, click the link above, or go to the myUMB Portal and select UMBiz from the Administrative Systems menu.

The Center for Clinical Trials and Corporate Contracts (CCT) recognizes that you may require tangible materials for your research from sources outside our campus, and we want to expedite your request. While facilitating the transfer, CCT also wants to protect, where possible and practicable, any technology that may result from your research and ensure that any agreement conforms to fundamental University policies.

Please start by providing the information requested in the MTA questionnaire. Your answers to the questionnaire will give CCT much of the information we will need to begin the MTA process. CCT may contact you to gain further information.

UMB is a signatory for a standardized form of MTA known as the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA). When the material is provided by one of a group of signatory institutions, which includes many other universities, the UBMTA may be employed to expedite the contracting process.