A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a contractual agreement that allows for the transfer of materials from or to a Mass General Brigham hospital. These transfers may be with academic, non-profit or industry collaborators. Materials may include cell lines, animals, compounds, human tissue specimens, etc. An MTA is required to ensure compliance with Mass General Brigham, industry, government and non-profit policies; protect intellectual property; and limit risk exposure to the hospital. An MTA also ensures publication rights are preserved for the parties involved. Whenever in doubt, for guidance please contact the Transactional Affairs Group (TAG) of the Innovation Department.
Two Types of MTAs
MTA-Out
This agreement is used when a laboratory or Principal Investigator wishes to send materials to a third party from a Mass General Brigham hospital.
MTA-In
This agreement is used when a laboratory or Principal Investigator at a Mass General Brigham hospital wishes to receive materials from a third party that are not purchased.*
*Some purchases of materials come with Conditions of Use. In that case, please contact TAG for guidance on need for an MTA.
MTA FAQ
How do I request an MTA?
Mass General Brigham has instituted an automated process to request MTAs via the Insight 4.0 system. This system will guide you through the necessary background information needed by your assigned TAG Associate to review, draft, negotiate and execute your requested MTA. Guides to assist with the use of Insight can be found here (Guide to Get Started; Request a New Agreement).
Whom should I contact if I have an MTA related question?
Please visit our Contact page and 'Search by Department' to show all TAG members.
How do I ship Materials?
Any transfer of Materials in or out of a Mass General Brigham hospital must be done in accordance with Mass General Brigham policy and applicable law. Mass General Brigham policy strictly prohibits the personal transport of materials. Please refer to Transporting Biological/ Other Research Materials and Policy on Transferring and Sharing of Biological Materials for further guidance.
Mass General Brigham Innovation Team
