The Office of International Relations now requires a review of all proposals, Data Use Agreements (DUAs), Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs)/Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreements (UBMTAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), and all other agreements that involve a foreign entity/institution or include a foreign component. This is a mandatory step to ensure compliance and strategic alignment.
Proposal process
When submitting a proposal with a foreign component, the principal investigator (PI) must provide an additional statement for review. The PI must provide a clear and strong explanation of the value and justification of the proposed relationship with the foreign institution, entity, or person. This justification statement can either be a comment in SpartaGrants or an attachment to the Funding Proposal (FP). This is in addition to the sponsor’s foreign component requirements within your proposal. It is a critical part of the pre-award review process and must be completed.
When you submit your proposal and justification statement, the Office of Pre-Award Services and Agreements (PASA) will seek approval from the Office of International Affairs.
Only after the Office of International Affairs approved the foreign components, can PASA proceed with proposal submission to the sponsor.
This means you MUST account for additional time in your planning. Proposals cannot be submitted externally without the successful completion of this internal review and approval. Factor in this extra time to avoid delays.
DUA/MTA/UBMTA Process
Upon submitting a request form for a DUA, MTA, or UBMTA, the dedicated team will promptly contact the PI. To move forward, the PI will need to provide:
- An email from their department chair explicitly approving entry into the agreement.
- A comprehensive statement from the PI explaining the critical value and rationale behind the proposed relationship with the foreign institution, entity, or person. This statement should clearly articulate the benefits and necessity of the collaboration.
Once these essential documents are received, the team will then seek final approval from the Office of International Affairs.