An official website of the United States government
Forms and Agreement Types
The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) reviews new inventions and facilitates negotiation of research agreements. In this section, you will find information on invention disclosure, agreement review, and template agreements.
Invention Disclosure
The first step on reporting a discovery is to contact our office at TTO@cdc.gov. TTO will help researchers work through the process of formally reporting a technology with an Employee Discovery and Invention Report (EIR) form. Please contact us for more information.
Agreement Review
A technology transfer initiation process is used to begin the review of a new agreement with an external party. To begin an agreement request, please contact us at TTO@cdc.gov.
Top of Page
Template Research Agreements
The TTO handles a variety of research agreements that will be tailored to the specific needs of a given project. The following section describes the major agreement types that our office reviews and provides TTO model templates.
Confidentiality Agreement
A confidentiality agreement (CDA) is used to ensure that a party receiving proprietary information (for example, unpublished data or know-how) will keep the information confidential for a certain period of time.
- Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) – Mutual
- Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) – CDC Recipient
- Non-Disclosure Data Agreement (NDDA)
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
A MTA is used to formalize the transfer of materials between a provider and recipient, generally for non-commercial research purposes.
- Material Transfer Agreement – CDC Provider
- Material Transfer Agreement – CDC Recipient
- Material Transfer Agreement – CDC Provider – Controlled Materials
Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA)
A RCA is used when the parties are interested in collaborating on a joint project, as embodied in a research plan, and in transferring materials or confidential data (or both) between the parties as described in an attached research plan.
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
A CRADA is used for collaborative research agreements requiring significant intellectual contributions by the respective parties. A CRADA contains provisions that give the collaborator an option to license rights to discoveries that CDC scientists make under the CRADA’s research plan.
A Materials CRADA is used for research with a collaborator which is providing to CDC proprietary material, giving the collaborator an option to license rights to discoveries that CDC scientists make under the M-CRADA’s research plan.
Template License Application Form and Agreements
Licensing agreements are handled by the CDC Team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office (TTIPO), henceforth known as the CDC Team at NIAID. CDC TTO provides links to the license application form and major license agreement types utilized below. If you have any specific inquiries about licensing, those questions can be directed to CDC TTO at TTO@cdc.gov.
License Application Form
If a company wants to license and develop a CDC invention, a NIH License Application must be submitted. Please contact CDC TTO at TTO@cdc.gov for assistance.
Commercial Evaluation License Agreement
Commercial Evaluation License agreements grant the non-exclusive right to make and use a technology to evaluate its commercial potential.
Non-Exclusive Patent License Agreement
License in which the rights to intellectual property are granted to several licensees.
Non-Exclusive Patent License Agreement for Internal Research Use
License in which the rights to intellectual property are granted to several licensees, but is restricted for internal research use only.
Exclusive Patent License Agreement
License in which the rights to intellectual property are limited in the specific scope or field and will not be granted to other parties.
Biological Material License Agreement – Internal Research & Development
Licensee wishes to obtain a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, have made, use, but not sell “patentable” materials, in a particular field of use, in its commercial research or product development, and in marketing activities.
Biological Material License Agreement – Commercial Development
Licensee wishes to obtain a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, have made, use and sell “patentable” materials, in a particular field of use, in its commercial research or product development, and in marketing activities.
Royalty Payments
All payments should be made by direct deposit. In order to ensure that inventor royalty income is deposited into the correct account, inventors are required to complete the Automated Clearing House ACH ROYALTY PAYMENT ENROLLMENT FORM and return it by fax (404-638-5342) or email (psach@cdc.gov) to the CDC Office of Financial Resources. Please also provide a copy to your Division Program Resource Manager (PRM) or budget analyst.