International Agreements at UTMB

Formalizing Global Affiliations and Programs

Focus Areas

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International Agreement Support

The Provost Office – Global Operations supports the coordination of international agreements at UTMB, ensuring alignment with institutional standards and UT System policies.

We work closely with UTMB schools, departments, and administrative offices to:

Provide guidance on developing and executing international agreements
Ensure compliance with UTMB and UT System standards

International agreements formalize UTMB’s global reach, enrich learning, and strengthen collaboration worldwide.

Learn About Current Global Affiliations International Education Agreements FAQs

Exploring Potential Global Affiliates and
Early-Stage Conversations

UTMB faculty may at times travel abroad to explore potential global collaborations or engage in planning discussions for program development. In these early stages, agreements are not required. However, if there are plans to share any of UTMB’s confidential information—for example, sensitive student, financial, or intellectual property details—during these discussions, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) must be executed before the disclosure occurs.

Once a program reaches the point where activities must be formalized—such as when there is an exchange of services, resources, research outputs, or other deliverables—an appropriate agreement must be executed.

Formalizing the collaborations through an agreement provides the necessary legal protections and clearly defines:

The scope of activities and programs
Roles and responsibilities of each institution
Terms and conditions
Financial considerations
Intellectual property rights and protections

Executing the appropriate agreement at the right stage ensures that UTMB and its affiliate have a shared understanding of expectations, safeguards, and obligations—supporting compliance and the long-term success of the collaboration.

Coordination of Agreements

Each UTMB school or department typically has designated staff who manage the development and execution of agreements within their area. The following offices provide institutional coordination and support to ensure compliance with policies and standards:

Education Agreements
UTMB schools are responsible for initiating and managing international education agreements, which consists of an affiliation agreement and program agreements. The Provost Office – Global Operations provides coordination support to ensure alignment with institutional policies and compliance standards.

Research Agreements
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) serves as the designated coordinating office for all research-related contracts. OSP ensures alignment with grant or funding requirements, institutional policies, and applicable compliance standards.

Service Agreements
The UTMB Procurement Department is responsible for supporting the development and execution of all service agreements in accordance with institutional procurement policies.

Visiting Scientist/Scholar Agreements
The UTMB Department of Visiting Education is the designated office for developing and coordinating agreements related to visiting scientists and scholars.

John Sealy School of Medicine VSLO Requirements:
As a reminder, the John Sealy School of Medicine only accepts visiting students who apply through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) portal. No students outside of UTMB are allowed to pursue elective opportunities, observerships, or clinical rotations directly or indirectly with faculty unless they have applied and been accepted through VSLO.
Failure to follow this process would be in direct conflict with our accreditation standards. Should a student contact a faculty member directly please have them visit the UTMB Visiting Medical Students Webpage for more information on our requirements and how to apply. Currently UTMB only accepts visiting students from US Medical Schools.

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
The UTMB Department of Legal Affairs reviews and executes NDAs. Schools normally submit NDAs through the Clinical and Administrative Cobblestone process. Leadership support is important, as it ensures awareness of conversations and activities taking place. Please involve your school leadership and designated contract support staff in this process.

Common Types of International Agreements at UTMB

Each agreement follows a standardized internal review and approval process to ensure compliance with UTMB and UT System policies and procedures.

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Education Agreements (Student Global Experiences)
Per the UTS 108 Affiliation Policy, Education Agreements are are used to establish a relationship of a continuing nature with an outside academic, clinical or training site.
Education Agreements consist of two types of documents:
- Affiliation Agreement (AA): Establishes the overarching institutional relationship.
- Program Agreement (PA): Defines the details of a specific educational activity.
  - Outgoing Program Agreement: When UTMB students participate in a program hosted by an international institution.
  - Incoming Program Agreement: When international students or trainees participate in a program hosted by UTMB.
Note: Both the AA and PA must be submitted together. Education Agreements should only be executed when a program is ready for implementation, not solely to express interest.
When Are Education Agreements Required?
Education Agreements are required when student participation in an international activity is part of a credit-bearing course or fulfills required clinical or academic training hours for a degree or training program. When the activity occurs with an entity based outside of the United States, Foreign Affiliation Agreements (AAs) and Foreign Program Agreements (PAs) must be used. If the activity takes place internationally but the host institution headquarters is located in the United States, a standard domestic Education Agreement will be executed instead.
AAs and PAs should not be utilized for general visits abroad to hold high-level or ceremonial discussions with foreign entities.
This requirement applies to Educational Program-Based Research Activities such as, but not limited to:
- Dissertation projects, capstone experiences, Applied Practice Experiences (APEs), or Integrated Learning Experiences (ILEs)
- Quality improvement or service-learning initiatives
- Academic enrichment activities aligned with educational goals
- Clinical observerships or hands-on training not intended for research
These activities are considered part of the formal academic curriculum and must be supported by an Education Agreement to ensure appropriate oversight and compliance with UTMB and UT System policies.

These activities generally meet the following criteria:
- Are primarily educational in nature and supervised by UTMB faculty
- Do not involve IRB, IACUC, or other regulatory oversight
- Do not involve animals, human subjects, or controlled substances
- Are not intended for publication or supported by external research funding
- Follow academic or curricular oversight—not GLP/GCP or federal research compliance standards
If a student’s activity transitions into formal research (e.g., involves data collection for publication or requires IRB review), a separate Research Agreement may be required. Contact the Office of Sponsored Programs for guidance.
Learn more about developing or initiating an international education agreement.
Research Agreements
Research Agreements are required when a collaboration meets the criteria for University-Based Explorative Research, particularly when activities are designed to generate new knowledge, test hypotheses, or explore scientific questions. These agreements define the terms of collaboration between UTMB and a foreign institution and are essential when any of the following apply:
- The project involves formal research protocols reviewed by an IRB, IACUC, or other regulatory body
- There is a plan for publication, data dissemination, or pursuit of future research funding
- Activities involve human subjects, animals, controlled substances, or sensitive materials
- The project includes sponsored funding (internal or external) or deliverables tied to compliance or reporting
- There are intellectual property, data rights, or publication authorship considerations
- Research activities must comply with federal/state regulations (e.g., GLP, GCP) or data security standards (e.g., PHI protection)
In such cases, a formal Research Agreement is required to define the collaboration’s scope, outline roles and responsibilities, secure compliance, and establish terms related to funding, Intellectual property (IP), and data governance.
Types of Research Agreements
- Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA):
  Used when UTMB and a foreign institution agree to jointly conduct a research project, share resources, or co-author publications. CRAs define each party’s contributions, rights, responsibilities, and benefit-sharing models.
- Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA):
  Required when research is funded by an external sponsor (e.g., government agency, NGO, corporation). These agreements specify deliverables, timelines, budgets, and compliance requirements tied to the funding.
- Data Use Agreement (DUA):
  Governs the sharing or transfer of data between institutions, especially when involving identifiable or protected information. DUAs address data security, permitted uses, ownership, confidentiality, and regulatory obligations (e.g., HIPAA).
- Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
  Required when tangible research materials (e.g., biological specimens, chemical compounds) are transferred between institutions. MTAs define the permitted uses, ownership rights, publication restrictions, and IP considerations.
- Grants:
  Is a financial award provided by a sponsor (such as a federal agency, foundation, or other entity) to support a specific project or research initiative. The grant funds are used to carry out the scope of work as outlined in the proposal and agreed upon in the award terms.
- Subaward:
  Is a type of agreement issued when a portion of the work on a grant-funded project is carried out by another institution or entity.
Early-Stage and Supporting Documents
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):
  A non-binding umbrella agreement that formally expresses mutual interest in future collaboration. MOUs do not include program-specific details and are not sufficient when research activities begin. They are often used to lay the foundation for future agreements.
- Letter of Support / Consortium Letter:
  Used to signify early-stage collaboration or institutional backing, especially when applying for external funding. These letters typically state that UTMB will provide support upon a certain event (e.g., grant award) and are useful tools when a formal agreement is not yet appropriate.
For questions or to initiate any of the above agreements, please contact the, contact the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)
Service Agreements
Service Agreements formalize partnerships where UTMB provides defined services—such as consulting, technical assistance, training, or capacity-building initiatives—to external entities, including ministries, universities, or NGOs.
- May require institutional or system-level approval.
- Must be developed in collaboration with the UTMB Procurement Department.
- Governed by IHOP Policy 04.05.06 – Procurement Policy.
- Valid for up to 5 years, with exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis.
For guidance, contact the Provost Office for Global Operations at globaloperations@utmb.edu
Visiting Scientist/Scholar Agreements
These agreements facilitate the short-term academic or research engagement of international scholars at UTMB.
- Coordinated by the UTMB Visiting Education Department.
- Support non-degree participation in research or clinical observation.
- Typically used for scholars not enrolled in formal exchange programs.
For more information visit our Visiting Education Department website
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
NDAs are used to protect confidential information exchanged between UTMB and external institutions prior to or during collaboration. Schools normally submit NDAs through the Clinical and Administrative Cobblestone process. Leadership support is important, as it ensures awareness of conversations and activities taking place. Please involve your school leadership and designated contract support staff in this process.
- All NDAs must be coordinated through UTMB Legal Affairs.
- Required when sensitive data, intellectual property, or proprietary information is shared.
- Often a precursor to formal collaborations or agreements.

Agreement Renewals

To maintain continuity in global collaborations, renewal of international agreements should begin 6 to 12 months before the agreement’s expiration date. The renewal process is led by the respective school, department or designated administrative unit.

Its important to note that agreements are not evergreen, meaning they do not remain in effect indefinitely. Instead, they typically have a fixed lifespan of five years and require formal renewal to continue.

Contracts with a Foreign Government

Per UT System Rule 10501, all contracts or agreements with foreign governments or their agencies—regardless of dollar amount—must be routed for special review and approval by the UT Board of Regents unless they fall within specific exceptions. These exceptions include:

UTMB Approved Standard Agreements (e.g., affiliation, cooperative program, MTA, sponsored research, IP licenses) that meet Office of General Counsel requirements
Office of General Counsel approved agreements for confidentiality, nonbinding letters of intent, or preliminary MOUs
Agreements related to cultural or artistic exchanges with no expenditure of UT System or institutional funds

All other contracts involving foreign governments must be coordinated through appropriate legal and administrative channels. Please consult the Provost Office – Global Operations for guidance.

How to Initiate an International Education Agreement

Step	Description
1	Contact the designated contract administrator in your school Faculty or program leads must coordinate with the designated administrative staff responsible for managing contracts within the school or unit where the proposed program will reside.
2	Draft the agreement using official UTMB templates. The designated administrative staff will conduct an intake with the faculty or program lead and begin drafting the agreement(s) using the appropriate UTMB-approved templates.
3	Submit Agreement for Legal Review Once the draft is complete, the administrative staff will route the agreement through UTMB’s Cobblestone contract system for legal review by the Department of Legal Affairs.
4	Send to international institution for review and signature. After legal review and approval, the administrative staff will send a finalized, clean version of the agreement to the international institution for review and signature. Note: If the international institution introduces revisions (redlines), these must be submitted to the UTMB Department of Legal Affairs for review and approval.
5	Route for UTMB signatures. Once the international institution has signed, the administrative staff will route the agreement internally to obtain UTMB's authorized signatures.
6	Finalize execution and archive the agreement. After full execution, the agreement will be archived and managed in UTMB’s Cobblestone contract system. Finalized copies will be distributed to all relevant stakeholders for implementation and future reference.

UTMB Provost Office - Global Operations

globaloperations@utmb.edu

Physical Address

301 8th Street
Suite 5.106, Administration Building
Galveston, Texas 77555

Mailing Address

301 University Boulevard
Suite 5.106, Administration Building
Galveston, Texas 77555-0133

International Agreements at UTMB

Focus Areas