Title: Intellectual Rights Involving Multiple Institutions

Author: Anji Wall

Description: A graduate student has the same findings as his mentor and collaborating researchers from other universities; his mentor and one of the collaborators have signed an MTA.

Keyword(s): MTA intellectual property, collaborative research, mentor-trainee relationship

Based On: (Shamoo & Resnik, 2003, p. 137)

Case: Dr. Smith has perfected a technique for preparing a certain material of special interest to Dr. Jones. The two are from different universities and after conferring they agreed to sign a Material Transfer Agreement, thus sharing future property rights that might result from research concerning this material. Dr. Jones then modified the material and mailed it to a collaborator, Dr. Brown, who is a researcher at another institution. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Jones and Dr. Brown planned to publish their findings. Meanwhile Dr. Smith has been working along similar lines with one of his doctoral students. Upon reading the abstract from Dr. Jones and Dr. Brown, he finds out that they’ve replicated his student’s work and have reached the same thing.

  1. What should Dr. Jones do?
  2. What should Drs. Smith and Brown do?
  3. What should each institution do?
  4. What should the doctoral student do?

 

Source: Shamoo, A., & Resnik, D. (2003). Responsible Conduct of Research. New York: Oxford University Press.