Material Transfer Agreement

A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a contract between a provider and a recipient for the transfer of tangible research materials, including, but not limited to, chemicals, proteins, nucleic acids, biological samples, and organisms including laboratory animals.  An MTA defines the terms and conditions under which a provider is willing to transfer materials to a recipient and substantially reduces the possibility of future misunderstandings between the provider and recipient of materials. 

While MTAs with other academic or non-profit institutions can be negotiated and approved rapidly, MTAs for materials being provided by a for-profit entity require more time to negotiate and approve, as many companies propose terms and conditions which conflict with UC policies and federal funding guidelines.  The most common issues that require negotiation include publication rights, the future availability of the materials, and intellectual property provisions.

Incoming MTAs govern the transfer of tangible research material from another organization to UCSF.  All incoming MTAs must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Research, Industry Contracts Division (ICD).

Outgoing MTAs govern the transfer of all University research materials from UCSF to another organization.  Outgoing MTAs that concern the transfer of human materials (tissue or data) must be reviewed and approved by the ICD.  All other outgoing MTAs are handled by UCSF's Office of Technology Management.

Submittal Process for UCSF Faculty

Principal Investigators must submit the following items via their campus e-mail account to mta@ucsf.edu.

1. A completed Material Transfer Request Form (MTRF) (select from the following):

Non-Human Incoming Material

Human Incoming Material (tissue or data)

Human Outgoing Material (tissue or data)

For Non-Human Outgoing Material - Contact UCSF Office of Technology Management

2. Copy of the agreement (in MS Word format if possible ) from the provider of the material.

3. Brief description of the research project.

Other documents/information that may be required:

1. 700-U Financial Disclosure Form (Required only if there is a financial relationship with an industry provider as indicated on the MTRF).

2. CHR or IACUC Authorization Approval Letter.

More Information

Office of Research Material Transfer Agreement Quick Guide

For Questions, please contact mta@ucsf.edu