The visitor participation agreement and other visit-related documents establish the legal framework under which Academic Visitors conduct their activities on the University of Pittsburgh campus. All original executed visitor participation agreements, laboratory and clinical addenda, and invitation letters are stored in the MyEC system.
After completion of Step 2: Visitor Screening and Export Controls Review, the Visitor Liaison will combine the invitation letter with the appropriate visitor participation agreement and addenda (if applicable) to create the Visitor's official invitation package. The Visitor Liaison will send the final invitation package directly to the Visitor for review and signature. All partially executed visitor participation agreements and addenda must be returned to the Visitor Liaison for final execution by the Office of Trade Compliance. As of July 1, 2022, University of Pittsburgh schools and departments no longer are authorized to endorse visitor agreements and addenda on behalf of the University. The responsible department administrator will be notified via messaging in the MyEC system as the signature process proceeds.
The sections under Visitor-Related Documents and Carnegie Mellon University Visitor-Related Documents below describe the use of required and other Visitor documents. Except for the speaker participation agreement, the information in these sections only applies to Category 2 and 3 Visitors. Please consult the Visitor Process Overview page's Academic Visitor Eligibility section to address questions about Visitor eligibility and the use of these documents. You can direct questions about the visitor agreement process or any document to the Visitor Liaison.
Visitor-Related Documents
The documents described in this section are used for all Academic Visitors except for those Visitors who are affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University.
- Formal Invitation Letter (required)
-
A copy of the invitation letter must be uploaded to the MyEC system with the initial MyEC record submission (in the Additional Information section of the record). The letter should be signed by the department chair and University of Pittsburgh supervisor only, not by the Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will send the invitation letter to the prospective Visitor after the MyEC record submission is approved, as part of the official invitation package. The Visitor will then sign the letter and return it with the remainder of the invitation package.
The following items should be included in the invitation letter:
- The name of the hosting faculty member and the host department
- The dates and duration of the visit
- The nature and purpose of the visit
- If applicable, the type of and a description of research to be conducted
- An appropriate disclaimer for those Visitors who will reside within the Schools of the Health Sciences
- A disclaimer regarding provision of financial and salary support
- A request for a CV and completed visitor agreement
A template invitation letter is available for departmental use.
- Visitor Participation Agreement (required)
-
The visitor participation agreement outlines the relationship between a Visitor to the University of Pittsburgh campus and the University of Pittsburgh and must be completed when the proposed visit will be of at least 14 calendar days’ duration or involve laboratory-based or clinically based University research (i.e., Category 2 and 3 Visitors).
The Office of Trade Compliance, specifically the Visitor Liaison, is responsible for sourcing all applicable visit-related documents to the potential Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will contact the potential Visitor to acquire the fully executed, signed agreement.
Changes to language in the agreement by any party are not permitted without prior approval from the Office of Trade Compliance. Contact the Visitor Liaison if changes to this document are proposed by any party to the agreement.
If the Visitor will participate in any research that is funded by an external, non-University entity, then the principal investigator must adhere to any grant or contract stipulations regarding participation of such persons in the project, including any mandatory disclosure or pre-approval obligations. In cases where a Visitor will participate in a University of Pittsburgh project that is funded by the Visitor’s home institution or financial sponsor, it may not be appropriate to use the visitor participation agreement for the visit. Under these circumstances, please contact the Visitor Liaison to discuss before submitting the MyEC record.
- Laboratory Use Addendum (activity dependent)
-
The laboratory use addendum addresses the risks and responsibilities associated with laboratory-based research and the relationship between the University and the Visitor in this context. This addendum is used for Category 3 Visitors who conduct research in University of Pittsburgh owned or controlled wet or dry laboratories and other locations that allow for controlled experimentation or other high-risk activities (see below for the clinical space addendum for some Schools of the Health Sciences activities). The laboratory use addendum must be completed prior to a proposed Visitor's arrival on campus and before the Visitor can conduct any campus-based laboratory research.
The Office of Trade Compliance, specifically the Visitor Liaison, is responsible for sourcing all applicable visit-related documents to the potential Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will contact the potential Visitor to acquire the fully executed, signed addendum.
Changes to language in the addendum by any party are not permitted without prior approval from the Office of Trade Compliance. Contact the Visitor Liaison if changes to this document are proposed by any party to the agreement.
- Clinical Space Addendum (activity dependent)
-
The clinical space addendum addresses the risks and responsibilities associated with clinically based research in the Schools of the Health Sciences and other activities conducted in related clinical space, as well as the relationship between the University and the Visitor in this context. The clinical space addendum is used instead of the laboratory use addendum for a School of the Health Sciences Category 3 visit when laboratory use, clinical space, and/or clinical activities will comprise part of a Visitor's functions. The clinical space addendum must be completed prior to a proposed Visitor's arrival on campus and before the Visitor can conduct any campus-based clinical activities or research.
Additional information on the appropriate use of this addendum, particularly as it relates to the the University of Pittsburgh's relationship with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is available on the Visitor Process Overview page under Academic Visitor Eligibility and on the Step 1: Determine Visitor Category page.
The Office of Trade Compliance, specifically the Visitor Liaison, is responsible for sourcing all applicable visit-related documents to the potential Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will contact the potential Visitor to acquire the fully executed, signed addendum.
Changes to language in the addendum by any party are not permitted without prior approval from the Office of Trade Compliance. Contact the Visitor Liaison if changes to this document are proposed by any party to the agreement.
- Visitor Agreement Amendment
-
The visitor agreement amendment is used to amend the original language in the visitor participation agreement, laboratory addendum, or the clinical space addendum. The MyEC system automatically notifies the responsible department administrator 30 days prior to a visit's end date that the visit is scheduled to terminate. At that time, the administrator can contact the Visitor Liaison either via email or via the MyEC record's Add Comment function to initiate a visit extension. The responsible administrator also can contact the Visitor Liaison any time prior to the 30-day notification to initiate a visit extension.
In most cases, the amendment will be used to extend a Visitor’s stay beyond the initial one-year appointment period limit. In cases where only the length of stay is being extended, the original restricted party screening and export controls reviews still will be valid.
A new export controls review should be performed via the MyEC system if the visit's focus changes such that the Visitor will be performing activities not found in the initial scope of work. These situations can include:
- A change in the scope of the Visitor’s activities
- A change to the Visitor category based on changes in the scope of activities
- Inclusion of clinical space activities
- Proposed changes to the governing law, intellectual property, or insurance requirements
Proposed amendments follow the same signature process as the other visitor agreements, with the Visitor Liaison sourcing the document to the Visitor for signature. The amendment must be completed prior to extending a Visitor's stay. Please contact the Visitor Liaison if you have any questions about extending a visit.
- Speaker Participation Agreement
- A speaker participation agreement is used when the University has invited a party to participate in a particular engagement, project, or activity, and the University desires to capture that party’s participation in audio, video, or other media format. If you want to record a speaker's presentation or retain rights to the content presented, then you must document the speaker’s grant of permission and transfer of rights in writing. A speaker agreement is not necessary if the activity is not recorded.
Carnegie Mellon University Visitor-Related Documents
The documents described in this section are used for those Academic Visitors who are affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University only.
- Formal Invitation Letter (required)
-
A copy of the invitation letter must be uploaded to the MyEC system with the initial MyEC record submission (in the Additional Information section of the record). The letter should be signed by the department chair and University of Pittsburgh supervisor only, not by the Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will send the invitation letter to the prospective Visitor after the MyEC record submission is approved, as part of the official invitation package. The Visitor will then sign the letter and return it with the remainder of the invitation package.
The following items should be included in the invitation letter:
- The name of the hosting faculty member and the host department
- The dates and duration of the visit
- The nature and purpose of the visit
- If applicable, the type of and a description of research to be conducted
- An appropriate disclaimer for those Visitors who will reside within the Schools of the Health Sciences
- A disclaimer regarding provision of financial and salary support
- A request for a CV and completed visitor agreement
A template invitation letter is available for departmental use.
- Carnegie Mellon University-University of Pittsburgh Master Agreement (required)
-
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) faculty members, staff, and students who visit the University of Pittsburgh under Pitt’s Academic Visitor guidelines are governed by a master agreement between CMU and the University of Pittsburgh. The regular visitor participation agreement and laboratory or clinical addendum do not apply. Unlike potential student Visitors from other universities, graduate and undergraduate CMU students are eligible for Academic Visitor status at the University of Pittsburgh. Undergraduate students from other universities are not eligible for Academic Visitor status at Pitt.
The master agreement outlines the relationship between a CMU Visitor to the University of Pittsburgh campus and the University of Pittsburgh. This agreement must be completed when the proposed visit will be of at least 14 calendar days’ duration or involve laboratory-based or clinically based University research (i.e., Category 2 and 3 Visitors).
The Office of Trade Compliance, specifically the Visitor Liaison, is responsible for sourcing the master agreement to CMU and the potential Visitor. The Visitor Liaison will contact CMU to acquire the fully executed, signed agreement.
Changes to language in the agreement by any party are not permitted without prior approval from the Office of Trade Compliance. Contact the Visitor Liaison if changes to the master agreement are proposed by any party to the agreement.
If the CMU Visitor will participate in any research that is funded by an external, non-University entity, then the principal investigator must adhere to any grant or contract stipulations regarding participation of such persons in the project, including any mandatory disclosure or pre-approval obligations. In cases where a CMU Visitor will participate in a University of Pittsburgh project that is funded by CMU, it may not be appropriate to use the master agreement for the visit. Under these circumstances, please contact the Visitor Liaison to discuss before submitting the MyEC record.
- Speaker Participation Agreement
- A speaker participation agreement is used when the University has invited a party to participate in a particular engagement, project, or activity, and the University desires to capture that party’s participation in audio, video, or other media format. If you want to record a speaker's presentation or retain rights to the content presented, then you must document the speaker’s grant of permission and transfer of rights in writing. A speaker agreement is not necessary if the activity is not recorded.