Office of Technology Management Forms, Policies and Guidelines
Protect Your Invention
Invention Disclosure Form and Online Invention Disclosure Portal
Policies and Guidelines
Acceptance of Donated IP
Guidelines for the acceptance of donated intellectual property by Penn State
Management of IP
The primary objective of the IP management process is to transfer technologies from the University to companies with the interest, ability and resources to commercialize them such that the public can benefit from Penn State inventions.
Faculty Consulting Agreements
Policies and procedures relating to faculty consulting activities.
Student IP - Faculty Guidance
Ownership of the intellectual property (IP) rights of what is created, invented or discovered by students
Student IP
Rights and responsibilities regarding intellectual property created by a student at Penn State.
Intellectual Property Agreement Forms
The University Intellectual Property Agreement (IPA) is required to be completed and signed by individuals first appointed or transferred to the following classification categories:
- a). Executive, administrator, academic administrator, and academic throughout the University; b) faculty, staff exempt, staff nonexempt, and technical service in academic or academic service units throughout the University.
- For any existing employee in the above classification categories who has not signed an IPA Form.
- Graduate assistants and fellows/trainees at the time of their first appointment.
- Undergraduate/graduate students, postdoctoral trainees/research associates, wage payroll employees, visiting scholars/scientists, emeritus/retired faculty and others who may be in a position to make, conceive or reduce to practice inventions or otherwise develop technology.
In the specified classification categories, signing this form is a condition of employment. See University Policies IP01, "Ownership and Management of Intellectual Property," and RA12, "Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurial Activity (Faculty Research)," for further information.
- Intellectual Property Agreement Form
- Student IP Agreement Form (Form 1) - for use when assigning IP to Penn State
- Student IP Agreement Form (Form 2) - for use when assigning IP to a company sponsor
- Student Research Sponsorship Acknowledgment (Form 3)
Educational Resources
PSU Inventor's Guide to Technology Transfer
The Basics of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (Video)
This Webcast contains a discussion on how an innovative idea stemming from your research can be translated into a business venture.
Other FAQ
What is the Bayh-Dole Act?
The U.S. Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 allows universities and other non-profit institutions to have ownership rights to discoveries resulting from federally funded research, provided certain obligations are met. These obligations include making efforts to protect (when appropriate) and commercialize the discoveries, submitting progress reports to the funding agency, giving preference to small businesses that demonstrate sufficient capability, and sharing any resulting revenues with the inventors.
The Bayh-Dole Act is credited with stimulating interest in tech transfer activities and generating increased research, commercialization, educational opportunities, and economic development in the United States.
The Bayh-Dole Act does not apply to industry sponsored research.