A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a contract between the provider of material and the recipient. It grants the recipient a license to use the proprietary material and ensures that both parties understand how the materials can be used.
U of T Faculty Members Seeking an MTA
To submit a request for an MTA, U of T faculty members should complete the following steps.
- Log into My Research Application (MRA) using your UTORid
- Click on Applications and Agreements in the top toolbar
- In the left navigation bar that appears, click on Non-Funded Applications, then Search or Create My Agreements
- Click the blue Create New Agreement button in the top right corner of the screen. Select Material Transfer Agreement from the drop-down menu and click Create, then follow the on-screen instructions
- Complete and submit the online form to initiate the process
Third Parties Seeking an MTA with a U of T Faculty Member
Third parties seeking an MTA with a U of T faculty member should contact the Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) at innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca. Please include the following information in your email.
- Full contact information including your name, company name, email address and mailing address
- The university faculty member that will be engaged
- A list of other parties involved including their complete contact information
- An outline of the material, equipment or data being exchanged
- Any important deadlines
IPO will then initiate the negotiation process and facilitate the finalization of the agreement.
Why do I need an MTA to transfer/receive material?
An MTA grants the recipient a license to use the proprietary material and ensures that both parties understand how the materials can be used and any restrictions. MTAs govern issues such as ownership of derivatives and modifications of the materials, the transfer of risk, limits on use, confidentiality of information in relation to the materials and rights to inventions, and/or research results arising out of the use of the materials.
Can I use the funds from a research agreement to obtain material from a third party?
A researcher can use research funds to purchase material as long as the material is necessary for the performance of the project and the cost is an eligible expense under the approved budget with the prime sponsor.
Can students perform research using the obtained materials?
Yes, under the Principal Investigator’s (PI) supervision, students can perform research duties using the obtained materials. All project participants are required to read the MTA and sign a Confidential Information & Intellectual Property (“CIIP”) Agreement related to the MTA.
Does IPO need to be contacted for all MTA’s?
Yes, all research related MTAs must be reviewed by IPO to ensure compliance with University policies.
Who can sign my MTA?
Only designated authorized signatories of the University can sign on behalf of the University. For MTAs the authorized designate is the Vice President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives, or their delegate. The necessary signatures will be arranged in conjunction with IPO.
- Perform the legal and administrative review of MTAs.
- Participate in the negotiation of MTAs
- Act as a resource for information related to MTAs
- Review MTA templates provided by a third party, along with relevant documentation
- Ensure agreements are consistent with University policies and guidelines
