Pick the right agreement. Get the most from every contribution.

Two tools for the two hardest parts of standing up a research partnership: choosing between an MTA, DUA, RCA, or CRADA — and knowing how to work with the fourteen distinct roles that show up once the ink is dry.

Four instruments, one decision

The Navigator resolves these down to one recommendation based on what's actually being exchanged and who's involved.

MTA
Material Transfer
Tangible materials move between parties under defined use, redistribution, and derivative terms.
DUA
Data Use Agreement
Datasets move under purpose limitation, security, and re-identification restrictions.
RCA
Research Collaboration
Joint work with shared governance, milestones, and negotiated foreground IP — no federal lab involved.
CRADA
Cooperative R&D
Joint work between a federal laboratory and a non-federal partner under statutory licensing terms.