Sharing IP, data and materials is necessary and important to further the goals and accomplishments of our research community. In transferring data and materials to other researchers and labs, the HMS community must follow all applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and University and School policies.
All agreements on behalf of Harvard Medical School must be reviewed and signed by the appropriate administrative office to ensure compliance with all requirements. The following table describes which office at HMS is required to sign each type of agreement.
| Type of Agreement | HMS Reviewing and Signing Office | Contact |
| Data Transfer and Use Agreements | Office of Research Administration | |
| Sponsored Research Agreements | Office of Research Administration | SPA_Award@hms.harvard.edu |
| Collaboration Agreements | Office of Research Administration | SPA_Award@hms.harvard.edu |
| Material Transfer Agreements | Office of Technology Development | hms_materialtransfer@harvard.edu https://otd.harvard.edu/faculty-inventors/resources/material-transfer-agreements/ |
| Intellectual Property License Agreements | Office of Technology Development | otd@harvard.edu |
| Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements | Office of Research Administration | |
| Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements w/ for-profits | Office of Technology Development | otd@harvard.edu |
| Consulting Agreements outside HMS* (agreements issued directly to an individual as part of their outside activities can be reviewed by the Office of Academic and Research integrity. Review is recommended but not required) | Office of Academic and Research integrity | outside_activities@hms.harvard.edu |
| Consulting Agreements through HMS | Office of Research Administration | SPAContracts@hms.harvard.edu |
| Appointment Letters | Office of Faculty Affairs | OFA@hms.harvard.edu |
Harvard University has also published a guide to determining the responsible parties for coordinating the review and signature of research-related agreements at Harvard. For other agreements not detailed above, please consult this guide or research out to the HMS Office for Research Administration.
Resources:
Harvard University Office of Technology Development
HMS Office of Research Administration
HMS Office for Faculty Affairs
Research Materials Transfer/Shipping Requirements
Data Use Agreement (DUA) Policy and Guidance