The Office of Research Services (ORS) is pleased to offer training to help inform faculty, research scientists and technicians, postdocs, and other related parties.
Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs): Friend or Foe?
Monday, February 11, from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (NEW DATE)
Al Jazri Building West (building 4), level 5 Conference Room, room 5209 (seaside)
In the sciences, materials were once freely available and widely exchanged. Materials transferred using MTAs include samples from the Red Sea, reagents, chemicals, compounds, cell lines, antibodies, research tools, genome sequence databases, vectors, and plant genetic resources. But more and more, these materials have gained commercial value. Institutions, as well as industry, have recognized that proprietary protection of these materials may be necessary. Benefits of such transfers include accelerating and facilitating advances in research and can lead to external collaborations, publications as well as grant opportunities.
However, due to divergent missions, material transfers between industry and institutions are generally more complex than those between public sector institutions. MTAs become the legal instruments which define terms for the transfer of tangible biological materials between or among two or more parties. MTAs effect the transfer in possession of property (but not the title): the party who transfers the materials retains full ownership; the party who receives the materials holds it in trust. Transfer is governed by the law of contract, ideally specifying the term of the transfer, how the materials may and may not be used, and other related issues, such as confidentiality, publication and the management of risk. This information session will familiarize you with and cover some key areas, including:
• Introduction to MTAs
• Structure of an MTA
• MTAs amongst industry and institutions
• Key negotiating issues
• Administration
• Case Studies
• Question & Answer Session
Refreshments will be provided. Please confirm your attendance by emailing Abeer.Al-Eryani@kaust.edu.sa
Directions: Walk through the Al Jazri Building at the ground floor level towards the seaside end on the right side, and take the elevator to level 5. Do not take the main elevator at the spine as it does not go to level 5.
For further information, please email: brian.callagy@kaust.edu.sa