Master Agreements include terms and conditions that apply broadly to multiple studies by a given sponsor. They may be institutionwide or specific to an investigator who plans to conduct a series of projects with that sponsor. Masters have no funding but become part of subsequent work orders, each of which receives funding for a specific protocol or scope of work.
Significant time is required to arrive at terms that broadly apply across numerous projects, but work orders that flow under them are expedited and therefore an excellent way to reduce contract timelines.
If a study is PI-initiated and/or the master does not sufficiently address intellectual property concerns for a given study, a stand-alone agreement may be executed instead of a work order.