Receive or Send Materials or Data

Material transfer agreements (MTAs), data use agreements (DUAs), and software licenses (SLAs)  are contracts that govern the transfer of tangible research materials or data between two organizations. MTAs, DUAs, and SLAs address fundamental rights and obligations, for example:

  • ownership of the materials, data, or software, as well as
  • intellectual property created through the use of the materials, data, or software;
  • how the recipient can use the materials, data, or software;
  • further transfer of the materials, data, or software;
  • rights to publish;
  • and confidentiality obligations.

Receive Material or Data

Receive research materials or data from another insitution or company

Send Material or Data

Send UC Berkeley materials or data to another institution or company

Purchase Data

Purchasing Commercially Available Materials or Data

Service Agreements

Negotiate a fee-for-service agreement so a third party can pay for routine analyses of materials or data

Research Data Portal

Visit the Berkeley Research Data Portal for additional services and tools

FAQS

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When do I need a material transfer or data use agreement?

You need a material transfer agreement (MTA) whenever tangible materials (e.g., mice, cell lines, blood, saliva, tissue, human cells) are transferred to or from UC Berkeley. A data use agreement (DUA) is needed when data (e.g., economic/financial data or healthcare data, including human patient data governed by HIPAA) is transferred to or from UC Berkeley. MTAs and DUAs are contracts between institutions rather than individuals, so the agreement must be signed by UC Berkeley.

Can I sign an MTA or DUA myself?

No. MTAs and DUAs are contracts between institutions rather than individuals, so the agreement must be signed by UC Berkeley

Research materials and data are owned by the university, not by individual researchers. Only an officer with the delegated authority to bind the institution can sign on behalf of UC Berkeley.

Do I need to submit a request for an MTA if I receive an equipment loan or want to transfer equipment?

No, contact UC Berkeley Property Management about equipment loans or to transfer equipment.

IPIRA Concierge

For more information, contact us