UC Santa Barbara welcomes the opportunity to explore possible collaborations with universities and institutions abroad that share our strengths and/or interests. Our experience is that the most successful collaborations are highly desired and supported by at least one faculty member who will serve as an advocate for the partnership. The faculty leader will commit to engage in all aspects of the agreement development process; secure approval for the collaboration from academic and research leadership; and support proposed projects, exchanges, and programs throughout the duration of the agreement.
UCSB Global Engagement is available to coordinate the assessment of UC Santa Barbara’s interest in potential collaborations. To conduct the assessment, please complete the Questionnaire and send via e-mail to bella@globalengagement.ucsb.edu. Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire, Global Engagement will provide assistance in the preparation of the agreement and help coordinate the campus approval process.
Below you will find step-by-step information on the agreement development process.
If there is no agreement in place that may support the proposed collaboration, review the guidelines below and complete the Questionnaire to initiate the Global Engagement agreement review process.
Proposals involving academic units require the approval of the department chair and divisional dean, while proposals involving ORUs require the approval of the ORU director. Discuss the questionnaire with your chair/dean or director, and request that each sign the questionnaire confirming support for the proposal. Send the completed questionnaire to bella@globalengagement.ucsb.edu.
Upon receipt of the questionnaire a representative from Global Engagement will assist the faculty member in drafting the initial non-binding MOU and/or binding Collaboration Agreement and work with the faculty member during negotiations. Agreements may be tailored to meet the unique needs of each partnership however, utilizing standardized language provided in the MOU and Collaboration Agreement templates, will to the extent possible, expedite the review process. Note: There is no guarantee that proposed agreements will be approved.
The faculty member will provide the draft agreement to the international partner for review and discussion. A representative from Global Engagement will help review the draft to ensure compliance with campus standards, and arrange further reviews as follows:
Graduate Division: agreements that involve graduate student exchanges.
Education Abroad Program or University Extension: agreements that involve undergraduate student exchanges.
Office of Research: agreements that contain research and/or publication clauses.
Academic Senate: agreements and MOUs that commit University resources.
University Counsel: for all legal aspects.
International Students and Scholars: For visa or immigration concerns
Any agreement that requires Academic Senate review will need at least 6-8 weeks. Agreements that deviate from the provided templates may need additional time for review.
If you receive an MOU or Collaboration Agreement from an international collaborator that is not based on a UCSB template, please follow the above instructions to seek campus review and approval. A more detailed review may be required.
This MOU process flow chart describes the development and approval processes of the agreements.
Please note that the Executive Vice Chancellors Office and the Office of Research will serve as the official office of record for international agreements and must maintain a copy of each signed document. Global Engagement will email a PDF of the signed original to you, and to each of the campus offices that have reviewed the agreement.
Global Engagement performs Restricted Party Screening on all international agreements as part of the agreement development process. The US government maintains lists of individuals and institutions that have acted in bad faith against the United States. These entities, called Restricted Parties, must be identified prior to formal engagement to ensure that the university is complying with US law in all future interactions with the Restricted Party. Questions about this requirement may be directed to UC Santa Barbara’s Export Control Office (exportcontrol@research.ucsb.edu). Visit UCSB Export Control for more information. Please refer to UCOP International Compliance website for more information regarding UCOP guidelines of international collaborations.