IU's Office for Research Administration reviews, negotiates, and signs many types of agreements related to research and service. Some examples are listed below. If you receive one of these agreements or become aware that one may be needed, please complete the ORA Contract Request Form by navigating to the tile in One.IU.edu or by going directly to the form here (CAS Authentication required).
Other Research Agreements
Agreement types
A Non-Disclosure Agreement ensures that information shared between parties is kept confidential and is used only for the limited purposes defined in the NDA. These types of agreements are useful when parties need to include confidential information in initial discussions about specific processes, methods or technology to determine the potential for a future relationship. Please note that if you are already negotiating a separate type of research agreement that contains confidentiality terms, an NDA is not necessary. Please complete the “Non-Disclosure / Confidentiality” section of the ORA Contract Request Form.
A Material Transfer Agreement governs the transfer of tangible biological research materials between two organizations, when the recipient institution intends to use the biological material for its own research purposes. The MTA defines the rights of the provider and the recipient with respect to the materials and any derivatives. This agreement includes common issues such as allowable uses, transfer of rights, intellectual property rights, confidentiality, and liability. You need to request an MTA if you need to receive biological material from another institution to use in your research; to track these materials and the compliance with the individual terms and conditions on their use; or to protect the intellectual property interests of both the recipient and provider of the materials. Please complete the “Material Transfer” section of the ORA Contract Request Form.
A Data Use Agreement is a contractual agreement governing the sharing of data between parties when that use is subject to restrictions. The purpose of a DUA is to protect confidentiality but permit appropriate publication and sharing of research results in accordance with university policies, applicable laws and regulations, and federal requirements. You may consider requesting a DUA when you are dealing with data that requires protection, and the restrictions on the data are not addressed in another agreement (such as a funding agreement). Please complete the “Data Use & Transfer” or “Multi-Site Data Collection” section of the ORA Contract Request Form as appropriate.
An Unfunded Research Agreement determines the terms and conditions and commitment of resources for a collaboration among organizations working together on research. No funding is exchanged between organizations under this type of agreement. You may want an Unfunded Research Agreement if you are committing or expecting from another institution a commitment of time, equipment use, or other institutional resources to a project. Some examples are Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, Consortium Agreement for research purposes, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).
- A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement is a contractual agreement between the federal government and another entity. A CRADA is put in place when the federal government transfers something of value to the university and there is substantial interaction regarding the work performed under the agreement between the federal government and the university. If you are collaborating with the federal government, the government may issue a CRADA to IU.
- A Consortium Agreement for research purposes is a contract that enables multiple parties (usually non-federal organizations) to participate together in research and to share the outcomes of the research. Consortium Agreements for research purposes provide for the sharing of obligations, rights, and benefits among all consortium members.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for research related activities is an agreement between two parties that intend to cooperate in a mutual endeavor. MOUs outline the type of relationship that will be created, the objectives for the relationship, and the actions that each party plans to take to bring about the shared objectives.
To request any of these Unfunded Research Agreements, please complete the “Other collaboration agreement” section of the ORA Contract Request Form.
A Master Agreement is a contractual agreement in which the parties agree to most of the terms that will govern future transactions or future agreements between them. Because the master agreement has established terms and conditions between parties, ensuing transactions or agreements can be negotiated quickly and address only specifics of individual portions of the work. You may want a Master Agreement if you are beginning a project that will have multiple components requiring terms tailored for separate portions of the work (such as scope of work and associated budget, payment, milestones or deliverables, and staffing), but that will have one funding source and can be based on common generic terms and conditions (such as issues relating to publication, intellectual property, confidentiality, export control, use of institutions' names and logos, material transfer, indemnification, contract termination, and governing law). To request a Master Agreement, you will need to complete the Contract Request Form, completing the “Other collaboration agreement” section.
A Teaming Agreement is a contractual agreement between the university and one or more organizations that are joining together to propose a new cooperative research program to a prime sponsor—often a federal or foreign government agency—in response to a competitive request for proposal. Teaming Agreements establish the lead institution on the proposal as the recipient of any resulting funding. That organization will generally issue a subcontract to the other institution for its share of the proposed research. You will need a Teaming Agreement if required by the funding agency’s proposal guidelines. Please complete the “Other collaboration agreement” section of the ORA Contract Request Form.
An Equipment Loan and Transfer Agreement is used when equipment is to be loaned by the university to another organization or by another organization to the university. This agreement ensures that the loaned equipment is clearly defined, appropriately protected and tracked, and will be returned under the right circumstances. You should complete the “Other collaboration agreement” section of the ORA Contract Request Form.
A Facility Use Agreement is a contract between institutions that grants one institution access to the other institution's facilities such as laboratories and research equipment. If you want to use non-IU facilities or equipment, you should complete the "Other collaboration agreement" section of the ORA Contract Request Form. Note that if an outside entity wants to use IU facilities or equipment, they will need to go through INLOCC and complete a Facility Use Request on their site.