Research Materials

The transfer of research materials is a critical component of collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. At the George Washington University (GW), we ensure that these transfers are conducted seamlessly and in accordance with legal and ethical standards. Our processes and agreements are designed to protect intellectual property, support academic and commercial ventures, and foster a collaborative environment for researchers both within GW and in the broader scientific community.

Material Transfer Process

Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) are required for transfers of research materials and prototypes to or from the George Washington University (GW) and other universities, research institutes, or companies. MTAs provide conditions for using materials, publishing results, protecting intellectual property rights, and restricting distribution. They also prevent the provider from being held liable for any use or misuse of the material. 

The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) is responsible for licensing the commercial use of GW materials to companies. TCO also manages GW inventions that result from use of materials transferred to GW.

The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) manages a simple process for the transferring of research materials that GW investigators can initiate by submitting a MTA Request Form (DOC). When commercial use or inventions are involved, TCO provides input on MTA negotiations and facilitates transfers to GW licensees for testing, sampling and development.

Please direct any questions you may have regarding the MTA process to [email protected].

Streamlining Cancer Research

GW has partnered with CancerTools.org to streamline the process of sharing valuable research tools with the global scientific community. This collaboration aims to accelerate cancer research and foster innovation in the field by introducing a Master Licensing Agreement with CancerTools.org. This Master Licensing Agreement has laid the groundwork for the relationship between GW and CancerTools.org, and enables licensing of additional cancer research materials by simple amendments.  

Through this agreement, GW researchers can more easily deposit their research tools into the CancerTools.org biorepository. This facilitates the sharing of their valuable tool with the global scientific community. The Master Licensing Agreement eliminates the administrative burden on inventors and GW of individual contracts with each material recipient, expediting the transfer process and fostering a more collaborative research environment.

Although being a cancer-focused biorepository, CancerTools.Org offers depositing tools in research areas outside cancer such as Immunology, Metabolism, Stem Cell Biology and many more, extending the benefits of this agreement to non-cancer researchers in health sciences. 

We encourage all cancer researchers at GW to take advantage of this opportunity to share their materials with a worldwide audience.  

To learn more about licensing your cancer research materials through this agreement, please contact the TCO at [email protected].