The general procedures for creating a collaborative international agreement at UTHealth are as follows.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Identify Faculty Champion
First and foremost, each agreement requires a UTHealth faculty champion. The faculty champion is responsible for keeping in contact with the partner institution and overseeing collaborative activities. To begin the process of establishing an agreement, the faculty champion must be identified and submit an International Agreement Request Form to the Office of Global Health Initiatives (OGHI).
- Review Template Memorandum of Understanding
OGHI then sends the Template MOU to the partner institution for review. The partner institution reviews the template and provides UTHealth with the institution’s official name and acronym and the complete names and titles of the institution’s official signatories. The primary signatory must be the institution’s President or direct counterpart to the President of UTHealth. Any secondary signature as may be required by the partner institution may also be included. Please note that the template should not be signed.
- Print Finalized Memorandum of Understanding
Once the partner institution approves the template, OGHI will prepare an original MOU in duplicate for the signature of both parties.
- Secure Signatures
OGHI will send the original MOU in duplicate by express mail to the partner institution for signature. Once the partner institution has signed the duplicate originals, it should return them to OGHI. OGHI will secure the signature of the President of UTHealth on both originals.
- Distribute Signed Memorandum of Understanding
OGHI will send one original fully signed MOU to the partner institution and the other to the Office of Legal Affairs. OGHI will retain a copy for its files and send additional copies to the faculty champion and related offices at UTHealth.
Program Agreement
After a Memorandum of Understanding is executed, it will act as the umbrella document for later collaborative activities between UTHealth and the partner institution. As specific projects or programs for individual schools are developed, separate Program Agreements will be required. To start this process, the Faculty Sponsor must submit an International Agreement Request Form to OGHI. UTHealth and the partner institution must agree on all terms for the Program Agreement, such as each party’s rights and responsibilities and any terms of financial compensation, and commit them to writing. These terms must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Legal Affairs of UTHealth as well as The University of Texas System.
As soon as the Program Agreement has been finalized and officially approved by the appropriate UT and partner institution authorities, OGHI will prepare an original Program Agreement in duplicate for the parties’ signature. As with Memorandum of Understanding, OGHI will file and distribute copies of the Program Agreement to the faculty champion and related offices.
Renewal of Agreements
To renew an agreement (most agreements have a five-year term), the faculty champion must submit a new International Request Form. Any changes or new developments in the relationship may be noted here. The process for renewal follows the same procedure as that for establishing a new agreement.
Statement from the Office of Legal Affairs about the language of agreement execution:
"The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ("University") does not execute contractual agreements in both English and foreign languages. Based on the risks associated with inaccurate translation of legal and non-legal concepts, the English version executed by both parties will be the legally binding and formal agreement between the parties. Any party that contracts with the University may translate the English version into another language for its own internal purposes. However, the translated version will not be signed by the University."
To obtain an International Agreement Request Form or learn more about international agreements, please contact OGHI.
