International Agreement Proposal and Approval Process

This procedure is designed for faculty members interested in embarking on a collaboration with an international university partner, which does not involve the commitment of university funds or binding contract provisions for purposes of protecting or utilizing intellectual property. It is applicable to the creation or renewal of Agreements of Cooperation (AOCs) and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). This procedure was established to expedite the process of international agreements from concept to completion.

In order to develop an agreement, an international partnership must have a designated UC Davis Faculty Champion, which is a member of the faculty who will commit to engage in the agreement development process; submit the appropriate proposal form; secure approval for the collaboration from leadership; support proposed projects and programs throughout the duration of the agreement; and submit international activity reports.

International Agreement Proposal and Approval Process

Check Agreements

Step 1

Check for current agreements by emailing globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu

Email Us

Submit Forms

Step 2

Complete and submit a proposal request form, including required signatures.

View Forms

Review Templates

Step 3

Global Affairs will review the proposal form and email an approved agreement

View Types and Templates

Sign Agreements

Step 4

Upon agreement consensus, authorized signatories will sign the partnership agreement.

Maintain Records

Step 5

Keep a copy of the fully executed agreement for your unit records. Provide a copy to your international partners. Email a copy to globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu.

Email a Copy

Step 1: Check current agreements and ensure internal support.
Contact Global Affairs at globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu to determine if there are already existing agreements with the proposed international partner(s).

Discuss the initiative with your Department Chair, Dean, and international/global programs office to learn about any applicable internal departmental, college, and/or school policies for international collaborations and confirm departmental/college/school support for the initiative.
Step 2: Complete and submit a signed International Agreement Proposal Form.
Submit your request to Global Affairs at globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu using the International Agreement Proposal Form.

Include as attachments any information that will be helpful to the reviewer, such as draft agreements or documents provided to you by the proposed international partner. Please note that we strongly encourage the use of the UC Davis agreement templates only. Using alternate formats will significantly increase the amount of time required to conclude the agreement.Incomplete agreement proposals will be returned to the agreement sponsor for completion.

Global Affairs will respond within 10 business days. Some forms of agreements have additional requirements and may require input from various campus stakeholders as part of the approval process. In these cases, Global Affairs will provide additional instructions to the agreement sponsor.
Step 3: Global Affairs will provide the appropriate UC Davis approved template(s) for review.
Global Affairs reviews the draft agreement, coordinates agreement content with relevant stakeholders (if necessary), and returns a draft agreement to the UC Davis agreement sponsor using a UC Davis agreement template approved by the Office of the Campus Counsel.

The UC Davis agreement sponsor may now share the draft agreement with the collaborating institution, which may propose edits. If the proposed edits are not acceptable a negotiation of the relevant terms will occur.

Changes to the UC Davis agreement templates should be clearly marked in the draft agreement and must be approved by Global Affairs, in coordination with Office of the Campus Counsel as needed, before signing.

It is strongly encouraged that English be the controlling language for all International Agreements. When English is not the controlling language, a certified translation and back-translation of the International Agreement shall be completed. The initiator of the agreement is responsible for procuring the translation and the costs associated with it.
Step 4: Agreement approvals and authorized signatures.
Following approval of the draft, the institutional authorities named in the agreement print and sign the agreement. Scanned copies of original signatures in PDF or Word document files may be considered originals so long as all signatures appear on a single document, or the partner institution requests otherwise.

One copy of the fully executed agreement remains with the partner institution; one copy is retained by the UC Davis sponsoring department for its records.
Step 5: Maintain International Agreement records.
The agreement sponsor will send a scanned copy of the fully executed agreement via email to Global Affairs at globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu. Global Affairs will add the document to the central agreements database.

Considerations for Successful and Sustainable Partnerships

Do the participants have similar or complementary strengths, and are the partnerships mutually beneficial?
Is there institutional commitment from all sides, and does the partnership have the capacity and interest to grow?
Is the partnership strengthened by the investments of multiple individuals and units across campus, with a shared vision and measurable milestones?
Does the partnership fit with institutional goals, and is it consistent with the university’s mission?
Is the partnership sustainable, with the necessary personnel and funding to support it?

See the full the International Agreement Proposal and Approval Process (.pdf) for more information.