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For Inventors

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When to Contact Us

File an invention, copyright or tangible property disclosure form with our UM Ventures office to initiate the process of managing and commercializing your discovery.

If you find yourself in any of the following situations, please contact UM Ventures so we can work together throughout the technology transfer and commercialization processes:

  • If you have developed an invention
  • If you are named as an inventor on a patent application filed by a company or a branch of the U.S. government
  • If you are asked to provide unpublished information or research results to a company
  • If you are going to publish a paper or give a presentation about a research project that may involve a new invention
  • If a company expresses a desire to license technology from your laboratory
  • If you already have or would like to start a company based on technology developed at the university
  • If you have developed an invention or a copyrightable work under a sponsored research agreement
  • If you have developed IP while using university resources beyond those usually and customarily provided
  • If unsure, please contact us

When to Disclose an Invention

The ideal time to disclose is as soon as you believe you made an invention, i.e. after it has been reduced to practice and well before it has been published or publicly presented. If you aren't sure whether or not to disclose, call a licensing professional at UM Ventures to discuss your discovery.

University of Maryland, College Park: Call 301-405-3947 or begin the disclosure process now


University of Maryland, Baltimore: Call 410-706-2378 or begin the disclosure process now

 

Submitting the online form will ensure that your disclosure has been entered into the UM Ventures system immediately and accurately.

Tech Transfer staff members will assist you with questions related to marketability, funding sources, commercial partners, patenting and licensing, University policies and much more. UM Ventures Staff will identify how your technology fits with industry needs and find potential commercial partners.