University of Washington

Researcher Services

Material Transfer Agreements (MTA)

Researcher Services / Material Transfer Agreements (MTA)

Transferring Materials Into And Out Of UW

FAQ - MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENTS

  • What is a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)?

    A Material Transfer Agreement (MTAs) is a contract that protects your intellectual property (IP) when you either provide or receive research materials to and from other institutions or corporate entities. Research materials include cell lines, cultures, bacteria, nucleotides, proteins, transgenic animals, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals. Each exchange of research material requires an MTA. For repeated exchanges of the same research material, standardized MTAs can help streamline the process. CoMotion’s Agreements Group can help you efficiently transfer research materials.

  • What types of materials require MTAs?

    Research materials that require MTAs are cell lines, cultures, transgenic animals, and pharmaceuticals, among others.

  • Why are MTAs important?

    MTAs are important because they protect UW intellectual property rights, limit UW liability, and fairly credit the developer of the materials.

  • What office is authorized to manage MTAs at the UW?

    The Agreements Group within the UW Center for Commercialization manages most MTAs for the UW. If the MTA is embedded in a Sponsored Research Agreement, or is linked to a clinical trial, then the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) may be responsible for the MTA. The UW Center for Commercialization and OSP are the only units of the University authorized to review and sign MTAs.

  • Who should I contact for assistance with an MTA?

    UW researchers should contact the UW CoMotion Agreements Group, either by phone (206-543-3970) or by mta-group@uw.edu. If the MTA is embedded in a Sponsored Research Agreement, is linked to a clinical trial, or is for clinical use or clinical studies in humans, then the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is responsible for the MTA. CoMotion and OSP are the only units of the UW authorized to review and sign MTAs.

INCOMING MTA

CoMotion's Agreements Group can help you complete incoming materials transfers, starting with these steps.

Incoming MTA Steps

OUTGOING NOT-FOR-PROFIT MTA

To request an MTA for biological materials from the UW, please complete this form.

Outgoing MTA Form

OUTGOING FOR-PROFIT MTAS

CoMotion’s Agreements Group reviews for-profit MTAs with you to determine the most appropriate document for the transfer of materials. See these detailed steps.

TRANSFER OF HUMAN BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

UW School of Medicine maintains a strict policy regarding the transfer of human biological material—any material that comes from a person—to third parties. Find detailed instructions here.

Jeanette Ennis

Associate Director of Innovation Investment

Jeanette Ennis supports UW researchers pursuing grant money to commercialize their innovations, and helps CoMotion secure economic development grant opportunities. Ennis joined CoMotion in 2009 after more than 15 years of broad research experience as a scientist, entrepreneur, and manager. Her areas of expertise include pharmacology, biochemistry, molecular biology, tissue engineering, and medical devices. She has worked with a variety of start-up companies as project manager, grant writer, and intellectual property manager, and held senior research positions at Cornell University and the UW Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. She earned a doctorate in medical and molecular pharmacology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she trained with Louis Ignarro, Nobel Laureate in Physiology. She also holds a certificate in technical writing and editing from the UW Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering.