Institutional User Agreements | Joint Genome Institute

Every approved proposal starts with a User Agreement — before any work can begin, including the submission of samples for sequencing, or the submission of sequencing data for synthesis. This agreement, required by the DOE for all work performed in its User Facilities, is a legally binding contract.

All User researchers must have their home/employing institution sign a JGI Non-Proprietary User Agreement and Appendix. An Appendix identifies the type of work or specific proposal to be covered under the Agreement.

The signing official must have the legal authority to commit your institution or organization to the terms and conditions in the User Agreement. These include, among others: indemnification, patent rights, rights in technical data, project reporting to the DOE, and publication requirements. An official with authority is usually an individual in a central office, such as President, Rector, CEO, Sponsored Projects Officer/Director or Legal Representative. Please check with your unit director or supervisor for the appropriate contact name, email address and phone number for the signing official.

User Institutions with an active JGI User Agreement older than January 2024 will be required to execute a 2024 version. The recent updates were approved by the DOE to address the DNA Synthesis program. When fully executed, the new User Agreement will replace the active version.
For researchers with a Howard Hughes Medical Institution (HHMI) appointment, a version of the User Agreement between HHMI, your Host Institution and LBNL is required.

NOTE: If a PI changes academic institutions or a new PI is named during the performance period, your Project Manager must be notified immediately. Either of these changes may require new signed paperwork, and getting new documents in place early will prevent disruption and delays on the work. The transfer of a proposal from one commercial institution to a new commercial institution requires approval by all parties.

Details on User Agreements & Other Required Documents for DNA Synthesis Work

After your proposal is approved, the Contracts Officer will send required paperwork to your institution. (Samples of the JGI User Agreement, JGI User Agreement for Federal Agencies, DNA Synthesis Appendix and DNA Sequencing Appendix are available for download.) After your home institution has signed, all documents can be emailed to the CO. The CO will sign on behalf of LBNL, and will notify all parties when work may begin.

DNA SYNTHESIS PROPOSALS: Additional Requirements

ACADEMIC, NON-PROFIT or COMMERCIAL PROPOSALS with MULTIPLE COLLABORATORS: The submitting researcher’s home institution will be identified as the lead institution. *This applies only when the lead institution is academic (includes HHMI researchers), non-profit or commercial.
- Only the lead institution will be required to execute User Agreement paperwork and an MTA.
- The lead institution will be required to flow down the User Agreement terms to the collaborators.
- The lead institution will be required to assume responsibility for all material transfers.
- *University of California Campus: An Appendix for the synthesis proposal and MTA must be in place with the submitting researcher’s home campus. The home campus will have the same requirements as other academic lead institutions.
OTHER DOE NATIONAL LABORATORIES: A version of the Bilateral DOE Laboratory Utilization Agreement specifically for the JGI’s DNA Synthesis Program has been implemented. Before work can begin on proposals submitted by researchers from another DOE National Laboratory, a JGI-BDLUA, BDLUA Synthesis Appendix and BDLUA MTA must be in place.
- For multiple collaborator proposals, all collaborating institutions must execute User Agreement and MTA documents.
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES: For multiple collaborator proposals submitted by researchers from another Federal Agency, all collaborating institutions must execute User Agreement and MTA documents (the UBMTA Implementing Letter is used).
SYNTHESIS APPENDIX: Before work can begin, an Appendix for the synthesis proposal must be in place. This is in addition to an active 2024 User Agreement or JGI BDLUA.
MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (MTA): Before work can begin, an MTA must be in place for the constructs that will be sent from JGI when their technical work is completed. Having the MTA in place before work starts will prevent delays when JGI is ready to send the constructs.
- The MTA requires signatures by an institution’s authorized representative, the submitting researcher, and by LBNL.
- The Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA) and UBMTA Implementing Letter will be used for academic institutions, non-profits and other federal agencies.
- MTA for commercial organizations.
- JGI-BDLUA MTA for other DOE National Laboratories.
- For proposals with multiple collaborators, the lead institution must assume responsibility for the transfer of constructs to the proposal collaborators and any third party recipients. If a transfer is requested, a Third Party MTA Letter – executed between the lead institution and LBNL – is required.
After all required documents are fully executed, the Contracts Officer will notify all that work may begin.

Standard practice requires completion of work on all approved proposals within 36 months from the approved start date. Additional time requires the Project Manager’s approval. An amendment to extend the performance period for a proposal approved on an appendix for only that proposal is required.

Please email all institution-signed paperwork to the contact below.