Terms are generally negotiable, but companies should understand that the university requires indemnification from liabilities for the commercial use of the technology.  A term sheet template and sample license agreement are available upon request after a consultation with the UMKC Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC).

OTC acts as a liaison between the faculty and the company.  In most cases a non-disclosure agreement is entered into with the company and in depth, confidential information can be shared.  OTC can supply a mutual non-disclosure agreement or if time allows can shepherd an outside agreement through a university legal review process.  Online conferencing with researchers can be arranged and on-site visits where necessary.  UMKC is interested in continued interaction with industry to understand the needs and in-licensing process of companies. 

In some cases, there is a need for further research and the company may wish to sponsor research for an applied use of the technology.  OTC can facilitate the company’s interaction with UMKC’s Office of Research Services to enter into an industry sponsored research agreement.  If SBIR/STTR’s are sought, OTC can negotiate an allocation of rights agreement for any resulting intellectual property to be entered before grant submission.

Material Transfer, Non-Disclosure, Data Use and other Agreements

Agreements that are coming from outside the university must be presented to the Office of Technology Commercialization and be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel.  A researcher is not the signing party to bind the university to these agreements, but may be asked to sign off on the agreement to show they have read and understood the agreement.  In most cases the agreement is signed by a representative from the Office of Research Services designated by the Chancellor.

OTC provides and reviews the following documents at UMKC:

Material Transfer Agreements (MTA)

Used in the transfer of materials between two parties, MTAs spell out the ownership of the material and use restrictions.

Please click here to submit an MTA request.

UMKC is a signatory of the UBMTA https://autm.net/surveys-and-tools/agreements/material-transfer-agreements/mta-toolkit/uniform-biological-material-transfer-agreement/ubmta-signatories. 

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)

Also called a Confidentiality Agreement (CDA), these contracts bind parties to maintaining the confidentiality of proprietary information. In most cases a non-disclosure agreement is entered into with the company and in depth, confidential information can be shared.  OTC can supply a mutual non-disclosure agreement or if time allows can shepherd an outside agreement through a university legal review process.  Contact OTC for assistance with a NDA.

Data Use Agreements (DUA)

Agreements between the university and the data provider that facilitate the transfer of data and may limit the use and reporting of the data. 

Further, OTC reviews agreements that have intellectual property components including Interinstitutional Agreements (IIA), visiting scientist agreements, student design project agreements  and memorandums of understanding.