Material Transfer Agreements and Inter-institutional Agreements

Material Transfer Process and Agreements

Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) are used for incoming and outgoing materials at the University, and are reviewed, negotiated and executed either by the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) or the Syracuse University Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) on behalf of the Office of Research. These agreements define the terms under which University researchers and outside researchers may share materials, typically for research purposes.

Material Transfer Agreements are contracts entered into by the University to facilitate research.

NEW:  Complete an Outgoing Material Transfer Agreement Intake Form

COMING SOON:  Syracuse University Supplemental Information for Material Deposit to Addgene

For Material Transfers Incoming to Syracuse University, please contact OSP.

MTAs are required for materials including but not limited to:

  • Bacteria
  • Cell lines
  • Chemicals
  • Cultures
  • Nucleotides
  • Proteins
  • Pharmaceuticals

Inter-institutional Agreements

When Syracuse University is a joint owner of intellectual property, the contract which governs the joint ownership of that asset is called an Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA). IIAs define the terms under which two or more entities will collaborate to assess, protect, market, license, and divide the revenues received from licensing jointly owned intellectual property. Jointly owned property is not uncommon in university settings, and can arise from collaboration among researchers employed by two or more entities.

The following resource provides guidance for innovators who have co-invented with a collaborator from outside Syracuse University:

IIAs are drafted and negotiated by OTT and are executed by the Vice President for Research.

Common scenarios wherein an Inter-institutional Agreement is pursued, as between Syracuse University and one or more entities (most commonly wherein all parties are universities)

  1. As between joint owners or co-owners of intellectual property (IP). When there is an invention or other asset protectable by intellectual property which is co-owned between two or more parties. The parties to the IIA are the co-owners.
  2. To grant a documented set of rights to an institution other than the owning institution.
    1. This is customarily used to allow a researcher to continue work begun at the researcher’s former institution at the researcher’s current institution.
    2. Also used when a SU researcher is collaborating with researchers not affiliated with SU and, given the nature of the collaboration, in the absence of a written agreement, the external researcher’s institution could be subject to an infringement claim.
  3. To allow a faculty member to practice the IP outside of SU, for a limited period, with or without others, as may occur during a summer appointment, sabbatical, or visiting professor/scientist appointment at another university. In such cases, an IIA may be one of two or more agreements recommended, depending on the development level of the technology and other factors.