Material Transfer Agreements
All Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), except those MTAs directly related to an industry-sponsored research agreement, are handled by the Contracts & Agreements Team of the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP). An MTA covers all biological or chemical samples entering and leaving the University. The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is a UBMTA signatory.
To find your Contracts & Agreements Contracts Coordinator, please check the Pre-Award Constituency List broken down by the PI’s Unit Name. For general questions or for those outside the University wishing to enter into an MTA with UT Austin, please send an email to osp@austin.utexas.edu.
Requirements for every MTA
- PI status obtained by PI
- An MTA SmartForm filled out in the UT Research Management Suite Agreements Module (UTRMS AM)
- Approved study protocol(s) covering the materials completed by PI
- IBC (including rDNA)
- IACUC
- IRB
- Radiation/Radioisotopes
- Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office approval obtained by OSP
- Discovery to Impact approval obtained by OSP if patents are involved
- Export Control (EC) Officer approval obtained by OSP if receiving or sending material abroad
- The signature of an Authorized Official in OSP
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Incoming MTAs
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An incoming MTA is required when a UT Austin PI wants to receive material from an outside entity.
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Outgoing MTAs
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An outgoing MTA is required when a UT Austin PI wants to send material to an entity outside of UT Austin.
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Reciprocal MTAs
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A reciprocal MTA is when both the UT Austin PI and an outside entity will be exchanging materials with each other under the same agreement.
Repositories UT is a Signatory to
For incoming material – Please process your order as normal through the Addgene Portal. OSP will receive notification for the incoming material request. OSP will create the SmartForm record in the UTRMS AM. Please note this is ONLY for incoming Addgene material, all other material transfer requests must be submitted by the PI/DRA in the UTRMS AM.
For depositing material – Please complete and submit an MTA SmartForm in the UTRMS AM for sending material. This request will be processed like all other outgoing MTAs.
Addgene may reach out and request the material submitted to their repository be allowed to be transferred to companies for research and teaching purposes only. The final decision will be up to the PI as long as the materials are not exclusively licensed and there are no third-party rights that would overlap with the agreement with Addgene. OSP will work with the PI and Discovery to Impact to decide whether or not to proceed with allowing this material to be transferred to companies for research and teaching purposes only.
UT Austin has a signed MTA on file with the DNASU Plasmid Repository and is considered an Expedited Member with the repository. PIs may receive an email request to submit an MTA, but they can disregard it. Please be sure to still have a valid IBC protocol in place before submitting any request for material from the DNASU Plasmid Repository. A SmartForm is not required for only this repository. All other material transfers will require a SmartForm submitted in the UTRMS AM.
ATCC or the American Type Culture Collection
OSP has executed an MTA with ATCC. ATCC does not require a new MTA for each material purchase. ATCC material cannot be transferred without prior written approval from ATCC. Please contact OSP before transferring ATCC material.
MTA FAQs
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Should my MTA be handled by OSP or Collaborative Research in Discovery to Impact?
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If the MTA is related to any non-profit or federally funded research project, OSP will handle the MTA. If the MTA is connected to an industry-sponsored research project and it has no associated federal funds, Collaborative Research in Discovery to Impact will handle the MTA. If you are already working with Collaborative Research on an SRA with a corporation with no funding from governmental sources, Collaborative Research will handle your MTA. Please email industry@austin.utexas.edu to contact Collaborative Research. Both OSP and Collaborative Research require SmartForms in the UTRMS AM, so if you are unsure, please submit your SmartForm and we will assist with getting the MTA to the correct office.
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What should I do if I’m required to sign an MTA when ordering materials online?
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Contact OSP and notify us of the MTA. OSP has negotiated MTAs with several catalogue companies and repositories, and we may be able to substitute terms previously negotiated for the terms you were asked to sign. Please note: only OSP can sign on behalf of UT Austin.
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How do I send potentially export-controlled materials to a non-U.S. location?
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First, you should complete an outgoing MTA SmartForm via the UT Research Management Suite Agreements Module. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will review the information you provide and assist you in determining whether your material is export controlled.
If the material is export controlled, you will need to work with OSP to submit a license application to the U.S. Department of Commerce (or other federal agency controlling the export process for your material). To complete the license application, OSP will need to know the following information:
- Name of Recipient Scientist
- Recipient Scientist Address and Phone/Fax/Email
- Birth Date of Recipient Scientist
- Country of Birth of Recipient Scientist
- Place of Birth of Recipient Scientist
- Recipient Scientist's Institution
- Recipient Institution Address and Phone/Fax
- Amount of Material to be transferred
- Value of Material
Note that not all license applications are approved by the federal government. Additionally, approval of applications may take six (6) to eight (8) weeks and may be delayed due to questions about the recipient that arise after submission of the application.
If a license is provided by the federal government, OSP will then prepare an MTA for the recipient scientist's institution. The agreement will incorporate the requirements imposed by the license; these requirements will be non-negotiable. If the recipient institution accepts the agreement and the license terms, you will be able to forward your material(s) to the recipient scientist after the MTA has been signed by both parties.
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How do I send select agents to a colleague?
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Notify Environmental Health and Safety that you want to transfer a select agent before contacting OSP. The transfer and shipment of a select agent requires prior authorization by the CDC/USDA. See training related to shipping select agents on the EHS website.
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How do I get access to the UT Research Management Suite Agreements Module (UTRMS AM)?
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To obtain access to the UT Research Management Suite Agreements Module, visit https://agreements.research.utexas.edu/ to log in with your EID and password. You will be required to complete duo authentication to gain access. If you are unable to login, visit https://research.utexas.edu/era/home to request access.
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How do I use the SmartForm on the UT Research Management Suite Agreements Module?
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Here is the link to the FAQ for Researchers. If you need more assistance, please reach out to the Project Team here.
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What are the guidelines for MTAs with transmittal fees?
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Incoming MTAs
If an incoming MTA has associated transmittal fees, the fees must be approved in writing by the PI and paid for by their department. The Office of Sponsored Projects will not facilitate the payment of the MTA. If the fees are substantial, the Office of Sponsored Projects Assistant Director or Associate Director will also need to ensure the fees are reasonable before signing off on the MTA.
Outgoing MTAs
Since providing materials to a peer institution is generally considered a public service, materials are often provided at no cost to the recipient; however, provider organizations may charge a nominal “transmittal fee” in order to recoup costs related to the preparation and distribution of the materials.
If a UT Austin PI wants to charge transmittal fees on an outgoing MTA, the PI must confirm in writing the cost charged is equal or less than the cost of manufacturing, the PI will not make a profit, and the price aligns with industry standards. The Office of Sponsored Projects Assistant Director or Associate Director will also need to ensure the fees are reasonable before signing off on the MTA.
Any funds received by UT Austin through collection of outgoing MTA transmittal fees shall be sent to UT Austin’s Office of Accounting for deposit into an appropriate designated funds (19) account, which includes a standard administrative fee (3.25%) and prohibits entertainment expenses.
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I am moving to a new institution. How do I handle moving all of my material to my new institution?
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Please reach out to your Contracts Coordinator based on your unit here, and they will advise you of what is needed to move your materials.