Electronic Helper for Materials Exchange
Wading through technology-transfer paperwork is not
most scientists' idea of fun. However, a new site on the World
Wide Web can help intramural researchers streamline the process
of sharing biological materials with colleagues at other institutions.
The Web site, maintained by the Association of University Technology
Managers, Inc., allows scientists to quickly determine whether
an outside institution has signed the Uniform Biological Materials
Transfer Agreement (UBMTA)-a nationwide accord to facilitate scientific
exchanges that was reached last March under the leadership of
NIH's Office of Technology Transfer.
If an outside colleague's institution has signed the UBMTA, the only
paperwork required for an exchange of biological materials is a letter, called an
"implementing" letter, that must be signed by both parties
certifying that both work at signatory institutions. For more
information on this process, contact the technology development
coordinator at your institute, center, or division. To access
the UBMTA database, launch a Web browser, such as Netscape or
Mosaic, and type the following Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
in the Open Location or Open URL box:
http://autm.rice.edu/autm .
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