Master Research Agreement

On March 14, 2011, BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) entered into a Master Research Agreement to establish operating principles for the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI).   The Master Research Agreement:

  • Determines the funding allocated to each program year and how such funds may be spent;
  • Creates a governance and administrative structure for the GoMRI;
  • Creates an independent board of peer-acknowledged research leaders, which then  makes all decisions regarding research funding independently of BP.  BP retains approval rights over changes to general GoMRI research themes and, jointly with GOMA, the content of requests for proposals; and
  • Governs the conduct and oversight of research funded by grants from the GoMRI, which is independent from BP.

Click here to view/download the most recent amendment to the GoMRI Master Research Agreement, dated April 23, 2018. (Adobe PDF) Please note: Other than as modified in this amendment, the Master Research Agreement remains in full force and effect, see below. 

Click here to view/download the current Master Research Agreement dated July 11, 2012, amended, annotated and restated on December 3, 2015.  (Adobe PDF)

Previous versions:

Master Research Agreement dated July 11, 2012, amended, annotated and restated on March 2, 2015. (Adobe PDF) 

Master Research Agreement dated July 11, 2012, amended, annotated and restated on February 24, 2014. (Adobe PDF)

Master Research Agreement, version 1.1. (Adobe PDF, click link to view/download) Please note: BP has agreed to waive the provision in Section 2.9 of the MRA, which currently provides that “without the prior written consent of BP, no Research Consortium or Research Institution that is a member of a Research Consortium will accept funding, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, that would result in any portion of the research conducted under or documentation associated with an Approved Research Project being subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C 552 (“FOIA”) or any comparable state law provision.”  Please disregard this provision in the current MRA; an amendment will be made to the MRA at a later date which includes this revision.  

Master Research Agreement Amendment 1. (Adobe PDF, click link to view)