Material transfer agreements (MTAs) are legal, contractual documents required to facilitate the transfer of physical materials or samples between organizations.
Private, industrial and public organizations may view a particular material as important and want to specify how the material can and cannot be used.
MTAs may apply to biological material, chemical samples, circuit boards and nearly any other physical item, and they may apply whether Argonne is sending or receiving materials.
If you are working with an organization and you believe it may be necessary to get an MTA in place, you should work with Argonne’s Legal department and the lab’s Technology Commercialization and Partnerships division (TCP) to determine the best MTA for your unique situation. These groups will help you navigate your way to obtaining the material under an agreement that protects Argonne’s interests (e.g., publication) and complies with U.S. Department of Energy requirements.
For additional information and specifics on how to request an MTA, visit the MTA page on Inside Argonne. If you have questions that aren’t answered on the Inside Argonne page, please contact partners@anl.gov.