How to Get Started With a Research Agreement

The OTT assists NIEHS researchers in establishing research relationships with outside parties. Since no collaborative research project is the same, OTT provides various agreements that are drafted to fit your research needs. This is accomplished through the following steps:

Submit Request

Scientist submits the request to OTT, describing the information or materials transferred, the intended research project, and contact information, for the other party.

Draft Agreement

OTT drafts an appropriate agreement after consultation with the NIEHS scientists, negotiates terms and conditions with the external party, and coordinates signatures with all parties.

Execute Agreement

Notification of execution is sent to all parties along with a copy of the fully executed agreement. Upon full executing the agreement, the transfer of materials/data, correspondence, and/or research may begin.

To begin a collaborative research project, NIEHS Principal Investigators should contact OTT for assistance. Please note that NIEHS researchers are not authorized to sign agreements on behalf of NIEHS; agreements must be submitted to OTT to obtain the proper signature. See Types of Agreement for a description of the transfer and research agreements that can be drafted.