University Inventors
We partner with University researchers who are developing technologies with commercial potential. To get started, watch this short video introduction to Technology Commercialization, learn more about the commercialization process, or visit the Contact Us page for information on who to contact at Tech Comm for your research field.
Benefits of Working with Technology Commercialization
Transferring discoveries to the commercial market:
- Allows you to see your work benefit society
- Leads to new products and services that improve quality of life
- Creates new businesses and jobs
- Attracts research sponsors
- Provides recognition and financial reward for you and the University
- Increases industry contact and chances for student employment
Evaluating Intellectual Property
Patenting decisions are not based solely on technical merit. Only those technologies judged to offer reasonable commercial potential and return on investment will be selected for further processing. Using a well-defined process, the office decides which disclosures offer enough financial or public good potential to be supported by patent funding and administrative support.
Disclosing Your Invention
The University requires you to report inventions that may be patentable—those that are novel, useful, and nonobvious.
Commercializing inventions and discoveries helps University research results reach the public. Companies that license inventions can perform the development, testing, manufacturing, and distribution not available at the University for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, software, sensors, new fruit and grain varieties, and machines.
Patent Ownership
The University owns all intellectual property:
- Created by University employees in the course of their employment
- Created by individuals, including employees, students, post-doctoral or other fellows, using substantial University resources
Student-Created Inventions
Students own the intellectual property they create outside of University activities or as part of a course taken for credit, so long as they use only resources routinely available to all students in the course.
The University owns student-created intellectual property when:
- Created as part of job duties as U employee
- Co-invented by U employee
- Based on pre-existing U owned IP
- Funded by a company or third party where a contract grants company rights to IP
- Funded by government grant
- Supported by internal or external funding
The Quick Guide to IP Ownership and Resources for Students provides more information about student-created intellectual property.
Commercialization Income
Under the Regents Policy for Commercialization of Intellectual Property Rights, 15 percent of the income that results from commercializing your invention will go toward defraying our operational costs. A separate portion will be used to recover the out-of-pocket costs of protecting and licensing the intellectual property behind your invention.
Of the remaining income:
- You receive a 1/3 share.
- Your college and department receive a combined 1/3 share to support laboratories and research projects.
- The Office of the Vice President for Research receives the final 1/3 share to support further commercialization activities and to fund research and scholarly activity.