A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a contractual agreement that governs the transfer of tangible research material between two institutions, when the receiving institution’s investigator intends to use the material in her own research project. MTAs address pre-existing and future intellectual property rights including ownership of materials and derivatives, liability issues that may result from the research, publication of research results, and limitation of use issues, and ensure that materials are shipped and handles in accordance with University biosafety standards. At the University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, MTAs are required for any incoming or outgoing materials.
Below, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions regarding Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs). If you have a question that is not addressed below, please email our general email at HSC-PreAward@salud.unm.edu.
A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is an agreement governing the transfer of tangible research property for research use.
MTAs are important because they protect the rights of both parties. They govern issues such as:
-ownership of materials and ownership of any modifications or derivatives made by the recipient
-limits on the use of the materials by the recipient and related liability
-rights to inventions resulting from the use of the materials
-right to publish research obtained through the use of materials
As with other unfunded agreements, you will need to submit your MTA request through Click Agreements module. Please be sure to answer every item on the smartform and completing all fields including contact information for the collaborating party. Also, if a draft MTA is provided by the collaborator/sponsor, please be sure to upload to the record.
For the UNM Health Sciences Center, the Vice President for Research is the authorized signatory.
MSC09 5220
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Physical Location:
1650 University Blvd NE
Second Floor, Suite 2200
Phone: (505) 272-9383
Fax: (505) 272-0159
hsc-preaward@salud.unm.edu
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
