Direct Access to JHU MTA Templates and Tools: LTD Website Update

With the goal of making LTD’s administrative processing of material transfer agreements easier and more directly accessible to faculty, we have updated the LTD web site by adding some additional and important content.

A Click on http://www.ltd.jhu.edu/ then on Resources for Inventors which will lead you to:

http://www.ltd.jhu.edu/For%20Hopkins%20Inventors/biologicaldistribution.html#tp.

The above web page provides ready access to JHU templates for transfers to and from all kinds of entities. In addition, the web page provides direct access to an updated survey tool used to inform those of us to negotiating the MTA's of critical information affecting the completion and signature of the MTA.

MTA questionnaires (formerly called the “sponsored research form”) help us here at LTD to gather information at the outset. Very often we can turn on MTA around in less than half the time because we have access through the questionnaire to such vital data as funding source, company contact information, pending patents or other intellectual property protection associated with the materials to be used or sent out and the like. A few minutes on the questionnaire can save time and effort on the negotiating side. Our goal is to minimize the negotiating time resulting in shorter turnaround times.

Requests for outgoing materials: When research is materials are requested by an outside entity, is often difficult to decide where to send requests to and what documentation should be required by the JHU investigator providing the materials.

If the requestor is from a nonprofit or academic entity, there is a JHU template for that purpose on the web site. Research materials requested by a for-profit, or commercial entity, would require a different agreement but …ALAS… so to is the JHU corporate template is also readily accessible from the web site. The good news is that to the extent the requesting entity requires no changes to these template, they can be executed by the outside entity and then forwarding to the MTA office for archiving. This eliminates the need to negotiate terms either by you the investigator or the LTD office and therefore reduces the turn-around time.

Requests for incoming materials: JHU-investigator-initiated request for materials to be provided by outside entities is a more complicated matter. Because the materials are proprietary and represent significant investment by the outside entity, they usually have their own (non-JHU) MTA.

To take some of the mystery out of what is important to JHU for MTAs, outside entities can be referred to the website for a list all of standard terms and conditions. We hope the list’s appearance on the website gives you an immediate tool to provide to outside providers of materials as early notice to the Company of university policy and standard terms can often hasten the negotiations.

The UBMTA: Remember the most streamlined way to transfer materials between non-profits and academics is still to utilize the Implementing Letter which is a short enabling letter agreement documenting a specific transfer between two entities who have signed the master agreement, the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement. Numerous sources are available to verify and institutions status as a signatory.

As always, our goal is to provide service to the researchers who wish to either share their research materials with others or gain access to and bring in those materials from outside the university.

In the event that templates are presented yet negotiations are required, we are, of course, available to negotiate those changes pursuant to yours and the university's best interests as reflected in the JHU IP Policy. (see: http://www.ltd.jhu.edu/
For%20Hopkins%20Inventors/ippolicy.html)

Requests for information or other comments or questions regarding MTA's, please visit the LTD web site, e-mail the MTA group at mta@jhmi.edu or you may contact me directly. at

Julia M. Brill, J.D.
MTA Officer/Small Agreement and Manager
Licensing and Technology Development
jbrill7@jhmi.edu
(410) 516-4971

We are here to support your endeavors and strive daily to improve our service to your scientific efforts.

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