Importation and/or exportation of human, animal, and plant pathogens

Due to the complexity of the various regulations for importing or exporting human, animal and plant pathogens, please consult the Senior Biosafety Officer before any importation or exportation. The Senior Biosafety Officer will guide you through the process of Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Environment and Climate Change Canada requirements and will ensure you have all the required permits and documents to comply with these regulations.

Please note that the application for a permit to import biological materials into Canada or to transfer biological materials within Canada MUST be reviewed and approved by the University Senior Biosafety Officer.

Please ensure you have filled the appropriate Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), which is a contract between the provider of material and the recipient. It grants the recipient a license to use the proprietary material and ensures that both parties understand how the materials can be used. MTAs govern issues such as ownership of derivatives and modifications of the materials, the transfer of risk, limits on use, confidentiality of information in relation to the materials and rights to inventions, and research results arising out of use of the materials. Just as research sponsorship agreements and confidentiality agreements can affect the ownership and dissemination of research results, so too can MTAs.