Intellectual property in academia

As drivers of the "knowledge economy", academics and technology transfer experts share advice on patent and copyright issues to protect intellectual property (IP) and support translational research, commercialisation, inventions, information assets and university spin-outs. Plus, get help to understand your rights when publishing your research as a book or journal article.

The first step in commercialising your research: start the conversation

Your university’s commercialisation office can help start your journey from academic to CEO. Here’s how

Jim O’Connell

University of Florida

Asian man with glasses looking at screen

From mind to market: how young academics can approach research commercialisation

Translating research to real-world impact can be daunting for early career researchers. Here, Tiam Lin Sze offers a road map and why early protection of intellectual property is vital, especially before publication

Tiam Lin Sze

Singapore Management University

Young female engineer and older male colleague in a factory

Bridging the academic-commercial divide: a practical guide for university researchers

Industry collaborations demand thoughtful planning and engagement that extend beyond the bench in order to achieve the real-world impact that universities and researchers hope their discoveries will generate. Here are key considerations

Mary Albertson, Kashmira Kulkarni

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

The path from ‘eureka’ to patent

Early action matters when it comes to protecting and commercialising university innovations. This step-by-step technology transfer process bridges the gap between lab discoveries and real-world impact

Dana Vouglitois

Florida Atlantic University

From lab to London Stock Exchange: six lessons for quantum tech founders who want to change the world

Deep-tech commercialisation requires different strategies from those that drive typical start-ups. Three university collaborators share six practical lessons from transforming quantum research into a public company with a £14.8 million valuation

Rob Young, Alan Gilchrist, Mark Rushforth

Lancaster University

AI, copyright and the classroom: what higher education needs to know

As artificial intelligence reshapes teaching and research, one legal principle remains at the heart of our work: copyright. Understanding its implications isn’t just about compliance – it’s about protecting academic integrity, intellectual property and the future of knowledge creation. Cayce Myers explains

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

How to work well with industry spotlight graphic

How academia can work well with industry

Advice on how universities and their staff can maximise the benefits of academic-industry partnerships for researchers, students and society

Campus contributors

Campus

Illustration of female scientist in a lab

When a scientist becomes an inventor

A novel scientific discovery can catapult a researcher from the bench to being an entrepreneur. Here, Greta Faccio shares considerations for next steps in commercialising an invention

Greta Faccio

Independent consultant

Bridge the gap between knowledge and solutions with industry partnerships

Academic and industry partnerships can help both sides achieve more than they could alone. Here’s how to build a relationship for long-lasting collaboration

David Parker

Hong Kong Baptist University

When should scientists think about trademarks?

If your discovery has commercial potential, you will need to think about what to call it when it reaches the market. Here are three considerations about trademarks and protecting your intellectual property

Greta Faccio, Marion-Sima Wössner

Independent consultant

Campus talks: how to achieve research excellence – and protect it

Learn what contributes to quality research across an institution and how that work should be kept secure

Marcus Munafò, Jacqueline Littlewood

The University of Bristol, University of Alberta

Young male Asian graphic designer working

Fostering a start-up culture among academic staff

An environment of entrepreneurship that supports academic staff will, in turn, have a positive impact on start-up-minded students. Here, Gavin Clark outlines five approaches

Gavin Clark

University of the Arts London

The Goldilocks effect: finding ‘just right’ in the AI era

When artificial intelligence is embedded into almost every tool students use, how can university educators find the line between misconduct and ethical use? A new approach to assessment is required, writes Kathryn MacCallum

Kathryn MacCallum

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

An engineer controls the quality using a tablet device to inspect the drilling machine in the factory

The key to collaboration between HE and industry? Analytical testing services explained

Analytical testing can provide valuable insights to drive forward university-industry collaborations. Imtias Amir Bahauddin explains how to enhance these services for maximum benefit

Imtias Amir Bahauddin

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Two people in hard hats walk through a lab

How can we take research from the lab to the marketplace?

When getting the products of your research into the hands of the people who need them, challenges arise. Vorathin Epin, Ibham Veza, Mazian Mohammad and Abdul Rahim Othman offer advice on how to overcome them

Ibham Veza, Abdul Rahim Othman, Vorathin Epin , Mazian Mohammad

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Three ways libraries are championing the open access movement

Scholars and researchers should take advantage of libraries’ support of and expertise around open access publishing. Asking a librarian for help could protect your work and save you money

Karen Glover

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A human hand writes in a notebook while a robot hand types on a computer

Can academics tell the difference between AI-generated and human-authored content?

A recent study asked students and academics to distinguish between scientific abstracts generated by ChatGPT and those written by humans. Omar Siddique analyses the results

Omar Siddique

Adelaide University

Four people use illustrated megaphones to shout at each other

Approach with caution: why education faculty should engage public intellectualism

The public debate on intellectualism is failing to consider education experts. Ali and Davin Carr-Chellman find the ways to reclaim the narrative

Ali Carr-Chellman, Davin Carr-Chellman

University of Dayton

Will ChatGPT change our definitions of cheating?

We can’t yet know if we have a full taxonomy of ChatGPT-enhanced mischief, or whether certain uses should be classed as mischief at all, writes Tom Muir

Tom Muir

Oslo Metropolitan University

Teaching AI literacy: how to begin

Students urgently need to develop their AI literacy skills if they are to gain graduate-level jobs and help society tame the perils of the technology, write Christine O’Dea and Mike O’Dea

Xianghan (Christine) O’Dea , Mike O'Dea

University of Huddersfield, York St John University

Files with tabs relating to intellectual property, law and copyright

How to add value to research and manage intellectual property

Ensuring new knowledge has social, environmental or economic impact is an essential element of research – and of universities’ purpose. Here, Christophe Haunold explains the four steps to consider

Christophe Haunold

University of Luxembourg

A help desk to protect intellectual property

How an intellectual property help desk set up by a university library team is helping inventors protect their work, with lessons on what has proven most effective

Frank Soodeen

The University of the West Indies

People doodling a rocket launch on a blackboard

Universities as business launchpads: creating spaces for enterprise to flourish

What are the vital components of an effective university innovation and entrepreneurship hub? Julian Henry explains

Julian Henry

The University of the West Indies

Intellectual property tips for academics

What you don’t know about IP protections – but should

From patents to trademarks and copyright, intellectual property is a vast field with financial and legal implications. So, get to know your university’s technology transfer office, says Itzel Saldivar

Itzel Saldivar

University of Luxembourg

Woman researcher with pipette wearing protective glasses

How faculty support and entrepreneurial programmes can boost research commercialisation

Universities can support an invention as it moves from the lab to real-world impact through key focus areas such as protecting IP and networking, writes Audrey Calvird

Audrey Calvird

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Steps towards open research in higher ed

Open research is a tough nut to crack. Here’s how we can get started

Investment, training and incentives are required if the sector is going to rise to the challenge of truly embracing open research

Marcus Munafò, Neil Jacobs

The University of Bristol, UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)

What I have learned on the journey towards commercialising my PhD

Engineering biologist Maggie Hicks shares what she has learned on her journey towards commercialising her PhD, with business partner and fellow PhD student Florentina Winkelmann

Maggie Hicks

The University of Edinburgh

How to turn a PhD project into a commercial venture

Transforming a doctoral research project into a commercially viable product requires astute decision-making from the start. Manjinder Kainth and Nicola Wilkin share a beginner’s guide

Manjinder Kainth, Nicola Wilkin

Graide, University of Birmingham

Allowing unicorn edtech companies to dominate the sector is a negative for universities

Chasing unicorns: can universities shape the edtech space to their advantage?

Staying abreast of developments outside the big players in the fast-moving world of edtech can benefit institutions while also ensuring a healthy marketplace

John Miles

Inkpath

Building equitable scientific research partnerships with the global south requires trust and equality in decisionmaking

Creating equitable research partnerships across continents

Shabbar Jaffar provides tips for successful international collaborations built on trust, appropriate recognition and inclusiveness in decision-making

Shabbar Jaffar

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

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