What is an MTA?
A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a legal contract which documents the transfer of physical material (Material) between Yale University and an academic, non-profit, or industrial institution. MTAs are most often used to document the transfer of biological materials (plasmids, cell lines, mouse strains, etc.), but may also be used in the transfer of some types of non-biological material.
Any Yale faculty member, at the level of Associate Research Scientist or higher, may request that an MTA be executed by Yale. Post-Doctoral Associates/Fellows and Graduate Students who require materials should make their requests though their research mentors. All investigators must ensure that the agreement is in place prior to receiving or sending the Material.
Note: MTAs are legal documents binding the University to a set of terms and conditions and are not valid unless signed by an authorized representative from GCA or OCR.
Why is an MTA important?
MTAs define the parameters under which a material may be used. The agreements include terms related to the reason and length of time for use, confidentiality of material, publication of results, ownership of intellectual property, and warranties and liabilities of the parties.
MTAs protect both the Researcher's and Yale's interests and the ability to conduct future research related to the Material. It is important, especially for Material received from industry, to ensure that the Provider does not include terms that may restrict the Researcher's academic freedom, assert undue rights of ownership of discoveries, or use indemnification language that may put the University at risk.
Even in the casual exchange of materials between colleagues outside of Yale it is important that an MTA be put in place in order to avoid costly and protracted problems later.
Who processes MTAs at Yale University?
Incoming MTAs
- Transfers of Material to Yale are reviewed and processed by the Office of Grant and Contract Administration (GCA).
Outgoing MTAs
- Material transfers from Yale to other academic and non-profit institutions are prepared and negotiated by GCA.
- Material Transfers to commercial and for-profit institutions are negotiated by the Office of Cooperative Research (OCR). Inquiries should be forwarded to OCR@yale.edu, or call OCR at 203-436-8096 (Central Campus) or 203-785-6209 (School of Medicine). (See: http://www.yale.edu/ocr/ )
The Office of Grant and Contract Administration has created two web forms to facilitate the process of requesting an MTA. For incoming MTAs the form can be found at http://grants.med.yale.edu/mta2/incoming.html and for outgoing MTAs to academic and non-profit institutions http://grants.med.yale.edu/mta2/outgoing.html