Receiving or Providing Proprietary Materials

What is a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)?

A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is used to receive, provide, share, and protect proprietary biological materials, physical materials, chemicals, and other tangible research materials.

How do I share proprietary materials with another university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity?

Contact OITT at oitt@csus.edu or (916) 278-2451 to submit a request for OITT to draft and/or negotiate a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with the other university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity. If you will be receiving the material from the outside entity, the outside entity will usually draft the MTA, send the MTA to you, and OITT will negotiate the terms of the MTA. If you will be providing the material, OITT will usually draft the MTA, and the outside entity will negotiate the terms of the MTA with OITT. After the outside entity and OITT reach a consensus on the terms of the MTA, both parties will sign the MTA. Only the Associate Vice President of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development is authorized to sign the MTA on behalf of Sacramento State.

Receiving or Providing Confidential or Proprietary Data

What is a Data Transfer Agreement (DTA)?

A Data Transfer Agreement (DTA), also known as a Data Use Agreement (DUA), is used to receive, provide, share, and protect confidential and/or proprietary data.

How do I share confidential or proprietary data with another university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity?

Contact OITT at oitt@csus.edu or (916) 278-2451 to submit a request to OITT to draft and/or negotiate a DTA with the other university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity. If you will be receiving the data from the outside entity, the outside entity will usually draft the DTA, send the DTA to you, and OITT will negotiate the terms of the DTA. If you will be providing the data, OITT will usually draft the DTA, and the outside entity will negotiate the terms of the DTA with OITT. After the outside entity and OITT reach a consensus on the terms of the DTA, both parties will sign the DTA.

Receiving or Providing Confidential or Proprietary Information

What is a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)?

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), also known as a Confidentiality Agreement (CA) or a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA), is used to receive, provide, share, and protect confidential information or proprietary information.

How do I share confidential or proprietary information with another university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity?

Contact OITT at oitt@csus.edu or (916) 278-2451 to submit a request for OITT to draft and/or negotiate an NDA with the other university, nonprofit organization, or for-profit entity. If you will receive the information from the outside entity, the outside entity will usually draft the NDA, send the NDA to you, and OITT will negotiate the terms of the NDA. If you are providing the information, OITT will usually draft the NDA, and the outside entity will negotiate the terms of the NDA with OITT. If both the outside entity and you will be sharing information with each other, then either the outside entity or OITT will draft the NDA. After the outside entity and OITT reach a consensus on the terms of the NDA, both parties will sign the NDA.

Disclosing a New Invention, Software, or Creative Work

How do I disclose a new invention, software, or creative work?

Contact OITT at oitt@csus.edu or (916) 278-2451 to submit a disclosure for a new invention, software, or creative work that has commercial potential.

OITT and Inteum Company, LLC are developing a portal to enable you to disclose future new inventions, software, and creative works online.

What happens after I disclose the intellectual property (IP)?

The IP will be accessed to determine who owns the IP and if the IP has strong commercial potential to be commercialized for the benefit of the public. If Sacramento State owns the IP and the IP has strong commercial potential, OITT may file a patent application or copyright registration on the IP and try to find a for-profit entity to commercialize the IP. Sacramento State will share a portion of the net revenues (license fees, royalties, and other revenues minus legal expenses) with the inventors or creators and their colleges.