technology

Request a Research Contract

What to do, where to go, and how to get approval for agreements needed for your research activities

In general, agreements related to research activities and industry collaboration are handled in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR).  For questions, please contact OVPR@tufts.edu.

  1. When is an agreement necessary?

If a Tufts researcher desires to receive funding from, collaborate with, or transfer materials/data to/from collaborators outside of Tufts University, an agreement is a required part of that transaction. Agreements establish terms around the permitted uses of the materials or data, scope of research, confidentiality, publication/disclosure of research results, and ownership of intellectual property and developed inventions. There are several different types of agreements:

 

Research Grant or Contract Type

Description

Request and Approval Process

 

Government Sponsored Research

Agreement involving receipt of funds from a federal agency to support research and/or specific projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OVPR Local Research Administration

 

Contact your assigned LRA.

 

 

Foundation or Non-profit Sponsored Research

Agreement involving receipt of funds from a non-profit or foundation to support research and/or specific projects.

 

Industry Sponsored Research

Agreement involving receipt of funds from a for-profit sponsor to support research and/or specific projects.

 

Research Services Agreement

Agreement that governs provision of certain research services by Tufts to another entity.

 

 

Subcontract/Subaward

Agreement documenting legal relationship between Tufts University and a collaborating organization for the purpose of carrying out a portion of a sponsored award.

 

 

 

 

Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)

 

 

 

Agreement that governs the transfer of tangible materials between Tufts and another organization.

Office for Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration (OTTIC)

 

Please click here to fill out the survey and request an MTA for OUTGOING materials.

 

Please click here to fill out the survey and request an MTA for INCOMING materials.

 

Non-disclosure or Confidentiality Agreement (CDA)

 

Agreement that governs the exchange of confidential or proprietary material, knowledge, or information for specific purposes between Tufts and another organization.

 

 

Office for Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration (OTTIC)

 

Please click here to fill out the survey and request a CDA.

 

Data Use Agreement (DUA)

 

Agreement that governs the transfer of research data between Tufts University and another organization.

Office for Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration (OTTIC)

 

Please click here to fill out the survey and request a DUA.
Collaboration Agreement Agreement between Tufts and another organization involving collaborations where two or more parties are collaborating to perform research (generally unfunded), and/or agreements that involve mutual exchange of materials.

Office for Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration (OTTIC)

Please click here to fill out the survey and request a collaboration agreement.

 

 

 

Visiting Scientist Agreement

 

Agreement between Tufts and another organization providing for a faculty or other affiliated member of Tufts to engage in work at the other organization, or for a faculty or other affiliated member of the other organization to engage in work at Tufts.

Office for Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration (OTTIC)

 

Please click here to fill out the survey and request a visiting scientist agreement.

 

If the agreement is between Tufts and another institution for regular hosting of visiting scientists, the Office of the Provost should also be contacted.

 

 

 

 

Consulting Agreement

 

 

 

Agreement with individual faculty or staff to provide certain services to an outside entity.

University Counsel

 

This is a personal contract between faculty/staff and the outside entity. The agreement must be in compliance with Tufts policies.

 

Please contact OVPR@tufts.edu for more information.

 

 

Gifts (Research or Other)

 

Formal document between a donor and Tufts University that describes the nature and purpose of a special gift.

Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR)

 

Contact cfrteama@tufts.edu

https://cfr.tufts.edu/contact-us/
  1. How do I request an agreement and what are the next steps?

 

  1. Submission/Review
    • Submit inquiries for an agreement per the above chart.
    • Answer the appropriate intake questions, if any.
      1. For questions about export controlled subject matter, please click here.
      2. For questions about Protected Health Information and HIPAA, please click here.
    • Once the intake questions are submitted, the provided incoming agreement draft will be reviewed or an appropriate outgoing agreement will be drafted.
    • Note: Please allow up to 10 business days for the agreement draft/review. This timeframe may need to be extended if an IRB approval/exemption is required and a copy of IRB approval has not been provided to MTA@tufts.edu.
  2. Negotiations
    • Typically, negotiations occur between the two parties on various provisions of the agreement.
  3. Execution
  • Tufts researchers are NOT authorized to sign agreements on behalf of the university. The authorized Tufts signatories reside in the OVPR.

Once the agreement has been signed by both parties, the research can proceed.