The Process

Submissions:

Ensure you have reviewed the Before you Submit page to ensure you have a complete package for submission. Once you press the “Submit a Contract for Review” button on our home page, you will be redirected to our SharePoint contract management system which allows you to submit your contract information directly to our team.

Tracking:

Once you have submitted the online form, you can monitor the progress of your application in SharePoint under “My Submitted Contracts.” This will keep you updated on the most recent activity on your application. To see the latest actions on your agreement click on "view entries." If your matter has not yet been assigned to an individual in SharePoint please refer to the "Now Serving" information at the bottom of this page.

After a submission is made:

Once you have made a complete submission in SharePoint, CSM Legal does the following:

• Within two days we conduct a preliminary review of your file to ensure it is complete.
• Hold the agreement in our triage awaiting the next available contract reviewer. The wait time varies widely from 1-2 days for simple nondisclosure agreements to up to 3 months for complex clinical agreements. Please see the "Now Serving" information on at the bottom of this page as to the current status for different agreement types. 
• Review the legal terms of the contract, ensuring it complies with University policies and procedures.
• Review non-clinical budgets with respect to any institutional costs, including overhead (any questions regarding non-clinical budgets will be directed to the PI).
• Ensure the Calgary Centre for Clinical Research (CCCR) Team negotiates and approves clinical budgets.
• Send any proposed research-specific edits to the PI Team for approval.
• Negotiate the contract with the Sponsor/Counterparty.
• Facilitate all required signatures from designated authorities (please note, PI’s do not have authority to bind the University).
• Provide a fully executed copy of the contract to each party.
• Submit completed file to Project Maintenance (for funded matters) for the creation of project code so you can access your funding.

*Please note that negotiation can take from weeks to years and something as simple as executing the document often averages a month before all parties sign. We therefore recommend ensuring your full SharePoint submission is made as early as possible and at least 6 months prior to the necessary execution date if more complex terms or negotiation is involved.*

Timeline:

Given the volume of files our team processes, we proceed on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. We appreciate certain research may come with restrictions that provide a definitive date for execution. Should this be applicable to your research, you will be asked to provide a deadline in your SharePoint submission. Please note we only expedite submissions on 2 grounds:

• Compassionate Care
• Deadline for loss of funding

Should either of these scenarios apply, you’re required to provide the documentation provided by Sponsor/Counterparty regarding the deadline into your SharePoint submission as well as e-mail it to csmlegal@ucalgary.ca. A determination regarding the urgency will be made by our group and your file will either be expedited or be processed in the normal queue. Failure to provide documentation will exclude you from any urgency determination, but submission of such documentation does not guarantee an expedited request.

While we understand that all research is important, desire to start one’s research is not sufficient grounds for jumping the queue. If you become aware of such urgency after your submission, please communicate this to us via email at csmlegal@ucalgary.ca.