Inventions arising from sponsored research must be reported so they can be appropriately protected, managed, and reported to sponsors in compliance with university policy and federal regulations.
An invention is any new and useful product, process, material, software, or other
intellectual property that may be patentable, licensable, or otherwise commercially
valuable.
Inventions developed with external or federal funding (e.g., under the Bayh–Dole Act)
are subject to specific disclosure and reporting requirements.
Investigators should promptly disclose a potential invention as soon as they believe
their work may have commercial potential and always before any public presentation,
publication, or distribution of enabling details.
Timely disclosure allows the university to evaluate intellectual property, file for
protection if appropriate, and meet sponsor deadlines (often within two months of
internal disclosure for federally funded inventions).
Inventions are typically reported via the institution’s internal invention or intellectual
property disclosure form, which asks for a description of the invention, all contributors,
and related funding sources.
Once submitted, the disclosure is routed to the technology transfer or innovation
office, which evaluates patentability and commercialization options and coordinates
any required sponsor reporting.
Most sponsors require that inventions made under their awards be reported to both
the university and the sponsor; failure to disclose can lead to loss of patent rights
or noncompliance with award terms.
Proper disclosure supports public benefit from research outcomes, enables compliance
with the Bayh–Dole Act and sponsor rules, and helps ensure any resulting revenue can
be shared according to university policy.
If you believe you have an Invention to Disclose, please complete the UVI Disclosure of Invention Form and send to OSP@uvi.edu when complete: Sponsored Programs: Your Resource Hub
