Research-related agreements must be reviewed, negotiated, and executed by the appropriate university office to ensure compliance with sponsor, legal, and institutional requirements. Two offices within the Office of the Vice President for Research manage these agreements: Research Administration and the Office of Technology Commercialization and Business Development.

Responsibility is determined primarily by the type of sponsor and the nature of the agreement.

Where To Route Your Agreement

Office of Research Administration handles agreements that:

• Are tied to external funding
• Are non-industry in nature
• Include grants, cooperative agreements, subawards, and research contracts
• Are funded by federal, state, foundation, nonprofit, educational, or foreign sponsors

Office of Technology Commercialization and Business Development (OTCBD) handles agreements that:

• Are industry-sponsored
• Involve intellectual property, data use, or commercialization
• Include sponsored research agreements (SRAs), clinical trial agreements (CTAs), confidentiality agreements (CDAs/NDAs), material transfer agreements (MTAs), data use agreements (DUAs), and licensing agreements

If you are unsure where to route your agreement, contact the Office of Research Administration.

Routing And Review Requirements

All agreements must be routed through Temple’s ERA Proposal Development module upon receipt from the sponsor.

Routing is required before an agreement can be reviewed or negotiated. It ensures that all institutional approvals, including budget and scope of work, are in place before negotiation begins.

Once routing is complete, the Proposal Review and Submission team forwards the agreement to the Research Administration contract negotiation team. Agreements that are not properly routed may be delayed.

What You Need To Do

To initiate review and processing:

• Submit the full agreement document and any related materials
• Provide complete project and funding information
• Work with Research Administration to address questions and support negotiation
• Do not sign agreements independently

Authorized Signatures

Only designated university officials may sign research agreements. Faculty and staff are not permitted to sign on behalf of the University.

All agreements must be reviewed and approved through the University’s contract approval system before signature.

Signature Process

• If Temple initiates signatures, agreements are executed using AdobeSign
• If the external party initiates signatures, documents should be sent to the assigned Research Administration contract negotiator
• Submission into Temple’s contract approval system is managed by the contract negotiator

Agreements should not be sent directly to authorized signatories or routed through external signature platforms without prior approval.

Requests for wet ink signatures or signature documentation must be coordinated with the assigned contract negotiator.

When To Contact Research Administration

Engage Research Administration as early as possible, especially:

• When a draft agreement is received from a sponsor
• When terms or conditions are unclear
• When negotiation is expected
• When timelines are tight

Early involvement helps avoid delays and supports efficient processing.

Key Considerations

• Only authorized officials may sign agreements
• Agreement terms must align with sponsor and institutional requirements
• Negotiation timelines may vary depending on complexity
• Agreements must address compliance areas such as intellectual property, data use, and regulatory requirements