Guidelines
Technology Transfer: What is it? Why Is It Done? Responsibilities.
What Is It? Why Is It Done?
Technology transfer, in our context, is the licensing of intellectual property rights (e.g. patents on university-made inventions, copyrights for university-developed software) to the for-profit sector for purposes of commercialization. Technology transfer is a mechanism for dissemination of knowledge, inventions, and discoveries. Absent the technology transfer mechanism, some discoveries of great potential public benefit would remain largely undeveloped, even though freely available to all through the publication process. The existence of a statutory form of intellectual property allows the granting of exclusive or non-exclusive rights to commercial entities through the licensing process. A degree of exclusivity in a field allows for the investment of funds in technology and market development in anticipation of a return on that investment.
From the national perspective, technology transfer is enabled under the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 (PDF) that provides institutional recipients of federal R&D funds the right to retain ownership of their patents and charges them with the responsibility to ensure commercial use of inventions created with federal financial support. The underlying tenet of the Bayh-Dole Act is that federally funded inventions should be licensed for commercial development in the public interest. Both nationally and regionally, this activity is increasingly regarded as an important driver of economic growth.
For faculty and other University inventors, participating in the technology transfer process provides the option of:
- disseminating technology through commercial mechanisms;
- enriching research through interactions with the private sector;
- providing a broader understanding of the commercialization process;
- supporting laboratory activities through sponsored research or license income;
- providing an outlet for entrepreneurial activities.
For the University, technology transfer is pursued to:
- bring the benefits of the University's research to the public;
- enhance the institution's reputation as a leading research and teaching university;
- support research activities, and the recruitment and retention of world-class faculty;
- enhance the University's financial resources.
Responsibilities of the University
- to maintain policies and infrastructure
- to report to sponsors and follow any other obligations
- to make sure technology with potential is developed in a diligent fashion
- to make rigorously market-based decisions on the commercial potential of new inventions or discoveries
- to involve faculty and researchers in the evaluation and, when appropriate, the commercialization of technology
- to communicate clearly to faculty and researchers regarding technology transfer
- to ensure that the technology transfer process does not place undue burdens on the normal course of faculty's work and publishing
The obligations of the University - and its faculty - to research sponsors are specific and can expose the University significantly if not performed. By way of example, the obligations to the Federal Government with regard to inventions made using Federal research monies are listed in Section 3.C. at http://www.cogr.edu/docs/Tutorial.doc (MS Word).
Responsibilities of the Inventor
- to disclose all inventions and discoveries
- to make themselves available and in general assist with the processes of filing for intellectual property protection and the commercialization process
- to disclose conflicts of interest promptly and openly and cooperate in the management of any conflicts
- to provide UChicagoTech with a revenue sharing agreement (if there is more than one inventor) in a timely fashion
- to assist the University in meeting its obligations to sponsors of the inventor's research.
A Tutorial on Technology Transfer in US Colleges and Universities
An excellent overview of the technology transfer process in presented in the Technology Transfer Tutorial at http://www.cogr.edu
