The Office of Global Engagement welcomes opportunities for UCI to enter into agreements with international institutions to promote cooperation, collaboration, and UCI’s presence as a leading research university in the global landscape.  Global Engagement is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of such agreements, most of which are initiated by UCI faculty and staff.

Global Engagement assists you with the agreement process by:

• Determining whether an International Memorandum of Understanding or International Collaboration Agreement is appropriate for what you hope to accomplish
• Helping you clarify the details of your proposed activities
• Consulting on your behalf with other campus offices when their input is required, such as Office of Campus Counsel, Office of Research, Export Control, Applied Innovation, etc.
• Preparing a draft agreement for your review and review by the partner institution
• Managing the signature process after agreements have been finalized and approved by all interested parties.

Your academic unit named in the agreement is responsible for the actual implementation and management of the activities specified in the final signed agreement. Global Engagement might request a report of agreement outcomes.

UCI’s administrative policies governing international agreements are:

Sec. 700-30: Policy on International Academic MOUs and Agreements

Sec. 700-31: Procedures for International Academic MOUs and Agreements

IDA612 – International Academic MOUs and Agreements

An International Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a brief document, signed by representatives of UCI and the international institution, which states the intention for future collaboration and development of joint academic activities.  MOUs do not specify activities or commit resources.  (Resources include funds; facilities and office space; research materials, tools, databases, and equipment; the time or effort of UCI personnel; UCI’s names, seals, or wordmarks; intellectual property; etc.)

An MOU is useful when:

• You desire a future collaboration with an international institution because it has strategic potential but specific activities are not yet appropriate or possible.
• You need a formal agreement documenting the parties’ intent to collaborate in order to apply for, or obtain, funding.
• You and your counterpart at the partner institution wish to state your intention to collaborate and to establish friendly terms on which to develop specific activities later.

MOU Instructions

MOU Template

For questions contact the International Agreements Officer

An International Collaboration Agreement is a formal agreement between UCI and an international university or other institution, which specifies joint academic activities and commits resources. (Resources include funds; facilities and office space; research materials, tools, databases, and equipment; the time or effort of UCI personnel; UCI’s name, seals, and wordmarks; intellectual property; etc.)

Some examples of joint activities include:

• Exchanges of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, student researchers, or staff (visiting scientist agreement may also be required)
• UCI students taking classes at an international university
• Research collaborations not covered by a sponsored award, subaward or off-site research agreement
• Exchanges of academic materials, research materials or technical information (material transfer agreement, license/option agreement, data use agreement and/or non-disclosure agreement may also be required)
• Collaborative scholarship programs
• Hosting of joint conferences or workshops
• Special short-term projects not covered by a sponsored award or subaward

Please review:

• Steps to An Agreement – explains the agreement process
• For more information, contact the International Agreements Officer

For the following agreements, Global Engagement refers you to other campus offices but remains involved to ensure alignment with UCI’s global strategy and international policies.

Service Agreements and Independent Consultant Agreements

If your unit will pay an independent contractor or an independent consultant, then your primary resource is Procurement Services.

Sales and Service Agreements

If your unit will render a service to an international institution in exchange for revenue, please consult the following.

• Sales and Service Activities Policy
• International Agreements Officer

Research-Related Agreements

If your unit and the partner institution will jointly submit a proposal for research to an agency for funding, or you seek any research-related agreement that does not involve joint academic activities with an international institution, then the Office of Research is your primary resource.

• Research-Related Agreements-Responsible Offices

How long will the agreement negotiating and approval process take?

The time required to complete an agreement depends on its complexity, whether or not we use the UCI template or the partner-institution template, the number and significance of changes requested by the partner institution, etc.  In general, the average turnaround time is 2-4 weeks if UCI templates are used with minimal changes.  If other templates are used or significant changes are proposed, the turnaround time is often longer.

What if the partner institution wants us to use its template instead of the UCI template?

We strongly encourage using UCI templates because all non-UCI templates must be closely reviewed, often extensively revised, and approved by various campus offices.  This can result in significant delays.  However, if, due to the relationship with the partner institution or other circumstances, it is preferred that we use the partner-institution’s template, we will make every effort to do so.

How long are agreements valid?

Each agreement explicitly states that it will be valid for a specific number of years, which is usually 3-5 years but can be shorter or longer depending on the activities proposed and the justification for the preferred term.

For research agreements, should I work with Global Engagement or the Office of Research?

An agreement between UCI and an international institution that provides for unfunded research collaboration is handled by Global Engagement. Research collaboration funded by sponsored awards or subawards is handled by the Office of Research.

• List of agreements handled by Office of Research – Research-Related Agreements-Responsible Offices.
• For more information, visit the International Students page.

Can international undergraduate or graduate students take classes at UCI?

International graduate students and undergraduate students visiting UCI may not enroll in courses, sit in on classes, or receive credits.  International students who wish to enroll in courses and receive course credit must do so through the UC Education Abroad Program, UCI Continuing Education, or UCI Summer Session.

• International Students Information

Who signs international agreements on behalf of UCI?

The administrators authorized to sign for the university are the:

• Chancellor or Provost on behalf of the campus as a whole,
• Academic Deans on behalf of their schools,
• Vice Chancellor for Research on behalf of organized research units, and
• University Librarian on behalf of the UCI Libraries.

Can we have a signing ceremony?

For campus-wide agreements, the signatory is always the Chancellor or Provost. Global Engagement determines whether a signing ceremony is possible.  If the signatory is an academic dean, the Vice Chancellor for Research, or the University Librarian, then you must confirm directly that the signatory is willing and available to participate in a signing ceremony with the partner-institution representative.  If a ceremony is scheduled, Global Engagement will prepare the agreement for signature at the ceremony.

Can agreements be terminated early?

Yes, the UCI templates state that the agreements can be terminated early by either party for any reason with 90 days’ advance notice.  However, this standard language can be changed depending on the wishes of the parties.

Can agreements be renewed?

Yes, the UCI agreement templates provide that the agreement can be renewed if both parties so agree.  To renew an agreement, contact the International Agreements Officer. If there are no changes to the agreement, the approval process may be quite fast.

I have a signed agreement that provides for visits by international faculty, postdocs, or student researchers, and I would like to plan the visits.  What do I need to do?

All international visiting scholars need an academic appointment and a visa.  First, work with your contact in Academic Personnel to create an appropriate appointment for the visitor. Second, work with UCI’s International Center to generate the documentation needed for the visitor to obtain a J-1 visa.  See Inviting a J-1 Scholar to UCI.

Contacts for questions:

internationalcenter@uci.edu

global@uci.edu