Authority to review, negotiate and endorse sponsored research agreements has been delegated to the Office of Research & Biotechnology.

Sponsored agreements routinely include information about level of funding, period of performance, the mechanism for receiving funds, and reporting requirements. In many cases, sponsors incorporate a standard set of terms and conditions (Federal Notice of Grant Awards, for example), but may also include additional project-specific requirements.

Many sponsors issue unilateral agreements that do not require institutional counter signatures. In these cases, the Office of Grant & Contract Management (OGCM) is expected to notify the sponsor if there are terms and conditions that are not acceptable to the Institution or investigator. Some sponsors issue bilateral agreements, requiring an institutional countersignature. Often, it is necessary for Office of Research & Biotechnology and/or the Office of General Counsel to negotiate changes to sponsor terms and conditions. Intellectual property rights, rights to publish, confidentiality, termination, and indemnification language often require negotiation in order to ensure appropriate protection for the investigator and the Institution.

During negotiation of an agreement, the Office of Research & Biotechnology personnel will work closely with the Office of General Counsel to finalize the document.

The UNTHSC approval process routing procedure will be followed for all agreements.

The Principal Investigator will be kept apprised of the progress and finalization of all agreements.