Report an Invention
During your research at the University of Alberta you may have created a new innovation. The first step in protecting that invention, called intellectual property or IP, is confidentially reporting it to the university before publishing or sharing at a conference, in a lecture or in a poster. Any patentable IP created at the university must be disclosed before commercialization per the university’s Patent Policy and Patentable IP Commercialization Procedure. In addition, the university may require other types of inventions be disclosed to facilitate compliance sponsored research agreement terms (or other similar agreements).
Reporting is sharing just enough detail about your invention so that patentability and commercial potential can be evaluated. The report describes the idea/invention, identifies inventor(s), funding details, if any public disclosure has occurred, and other related agreements so ownership and rights can be determined.
Why report
Confidential reporting is the first step to determining patentability and commercial potential. Reporting is also required before commercialization, licensing or selling of your invention, and to comply with most industry contractual requirements, as well as with the university’s Patent Policy. Reporting may also be required to comply with sponsored research agreements.
Inventor Portal: easy online reporting
Reporting your invention is easily done via the university's NEW Agreement/Inventor Portal. With this online tool, researchers can confidentially disclose inventions and check the status of their submission(s) and associated legal documents at any time.
After filing
After a report is filed, it is assigned to one of the university’s Technology Transfer Services team to be assessed for patentability and commercial potential. The team can also help you navigate the commercialization process and help you determine the best strategy and next steps, which could be licensing or creating a company, or other options depending on the invention.