Invention Disclosures

Research takes place across the state from the University of Delaware's Sharp Campus in Lewes to the Delaware Technology Park to numerous labs throughout its Newark Campus. During fiscal year 2010, the number of invention disclosures filed at UD increased by more than 60 percent, resulting in 56 new patents filed.

With innovation on the rise and researchers constantly developing new ideas and wanting to protect and eventually commercialize those inventions and processes, the University of Delaware Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) has established the Technology Transfer Center to help faculty and student extract value from their research endeavors.

Anyone from a graduate student to a tenured faculty member can use the Technology Transfer Center to disclose an invention and, regardless of its stage of development, begin the process of patent procurement and commercialization.

The Tech Transfer Center can also provide guidance to undergraduates about innovation, entrepreneurship, disclosure and the Patent Procurement Process.

OEIP files a provisional patent application on behalf of the inventor, giving the inventor one year to develop and realize the commercial potential of his or her idea. During this window, OEIP's projects managers work with the inventors, providing advice and counsel not only to ensure all intellectual property developed at UD is protected but also to advance the research to enable the filing of a fully enabled patent application.