Experience indicates that there is no uniform approach that will meet the needs of our diverse industry partners. The University is committed to working with its partners to provide leases for incubation space, contact terms and IP rights necessary to meet company goals. Faculty working with industry partners should contact the Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) about specific requests; our policies provide an ability to offer industry research partners options that serve their unique needs.
Licensing Policies
Royalty Sharing Policy
The University of Connecticut policy provides that our faculty inventors share in revenue generated by their discoveries as follows:
- 33 1/3% to the Inventor(s) as personal income (Multiple Inventors share the income).
- 33 1/3%to be further subdivided as follows: (a) 50% to the Inventor(s)’ research program to be administered through an account set up by the Office of the Vice President (OVPR). (This allocation is only available to Inventor(s) having an active research program at the university); 30% to the Inventor(s)’ primary academic unit (department) or other administrative unit to be administered by the Director or Department Head; and (c) 20% to the Inventor(s)’ school or college to be administered by the Dean.
- 33 1/3% to the University of Connecticut.
If a faculty member is no longer at UConn, the portion of the revenue that would have gone to the inventor’s research program (50% of the 33 1/3%) will be shared equally between the appropriate dean and the university.
License Back Policy
If the University does not believe that it can successfully commercialize a University Invention, and if the faculty member is not interested in founding a Startup, the University will offer the inventor a license of the University Invention (such license referred to as a “license back”). In addition, the inventor may request a license back from OVPR at any time. OVPR is not required to grant a license back but will respond to any request within three months. If the University elects to license back the University Invention to the inventor, the inventor, as licensee, will assume obligations related to patent expenses and commercialization and will agree to pay a portion of the gross revenue that the inventor receives through his or her commercialization efforts. In addition, the inventor will not be entitled to the net revenue payments described in Section 3 of this policy.
As stated in the UConn IP and Commercialization Policy
Other Policies
Guidelines for Faculty, Staff, and Students who are affiliated with a company: Guidelines for FACs and SBIR-STTR
Student Employment: https://policy.uconn.edu/2011/06/02/use-of-students-in-outside-employment/
Faculty Consulting: https://consulting.uconn.edu/
Financial Conflict of Interest: https://research.uconn.edu/fcoi-home/
CT Code of Ethics: https://policy.uconn.edu/2011/05/24/guide-to-the-state-code-of-ethics/
UConn Code of Conduct: https://policy.uconn.edu/2011/05/17/employee-code-of-conduct/
Intellectual Property and Commercialization: https://policy.uconn.edu/2015/10/08/intellectual-property-and-commercialization-policy/