I. Who are we?

The Office of Technology Transfer manages The University of Texas Medical Branch's Intellectual property assets, while promoting and encouraging scientific research, primarily with industries and for profit companies. The Office of Technology Transfer offers the following services to UTMB's research community: intellectual property management, e.g. patents, copyrights, and trademarks, marketing and licensing of intellectual property, negotiation of certain research agreements, export control compliance, and business development.

II. What Contracts Do We Negotiate?

• All Materials Transfer Agreements (incoming and outgoing) that involve the following:
• Transfer of biological or chemical materials, human tissue samples.
• Does Not include transfer of equipment unless it is given (meaning it will not be returned to the transferor) via a sponsored research agreement.
• All Non-Disclosure or Confidentiality Agreements covering basic research.
• Collaboration Agreements for Basic Research (1) which do not involve payment for research outcomes, (2) both parties perform research activities to achieve a mutual research goal, and (3) the collaborator must be a company or business.
• All Licensing Agreements for UTMB research technologies, such as options, exclusive, nonexclusive license & material transfer agreements.
• Copyright and Trademark Agreements for UTMB owned research technologies.
• Intellectual Property Agreements for consortiums and centers.
• SBIRs and STTRs that involve UTMB technologies.
• Industry Sponsored Research Agreements and Testing Agreements-
• The Sponsor must be a company or business.
• If the Sponsor is a government entity (e.g. NIH, DOD, Navy Air Force), then contact OSP.
• If the Sponsor is a foundation, then contact OSP.
• If the Sponsor is a nonprofit organization or institution, then contact OSP.
• The funding type must not be federal, governmental, grant, nonprofit, or foundation.
• Subject matter or scope of work of the research must not involve human subjects or a clinical trial.
• If yes, contact Office of Clinical Research/OSP.

III. Other Contracts Not Handled By OTT:

• Contracts that involve the purchasing of items or services by UTMB.
• If the contract states that UTMB will purchase items or services, contact the Purchasing Department.
• Look for key words such as P.O. and UTMB as the vendor.
• Contracts that involve hospital operations, school admissions and education-related activities, clinical research, training grants.
• Research contracts that involve the training, visiting, or activities of non-UTMB employees on UTMB campuses, such as Visiting Scientist contracts.
• Research contracts that involve the training, visiting, or activities of UTMB employees on non-UTMB campuses or foreign destinations.
• Private contracts between an employee, in his/her individual capacity (meaning monies will be sent to the employee directly from the Sponsor) and a third party.
  
  
• Publishing Agreements involving (1) a researcher and a publishing party and
  (2) the work involves the employee’s scholarly work.
• Consulting agreements.

IV. IP Clause Review to all Departments:

OTT staff will provide expert review of intellectual property clauses for any UTMB contract even if OTT is not responsible for negotiating the entire contract.