The Ohio IP Promise helps ensure that the transfer of discoveries to the marketplace at Ohio’s public universities are flexible, transparent, simple and fast. Through these principles, the initiative fosters a climate where innovation thrives through partnerships among universities, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry.
Ohio State is committed to making Ohio a stronger state that attracts talent, business and new investment through extraordinary collaboration and transparency, and we support this aspiration by being a more effective and efficient leader in technology commercialization.
Licensing a Technology
For Companies
Ohio State has established a commercialization pathway for licensing a university technology. Our standard templates for licensing a university technology include:
For Inventors
Inventors can learn more about commercialization, or contact the Innovation and Commercialization Team to discuss an idea.
Creating a Startup
Inventors can learn more about creating a startup company based on their research, or contact the Innovation and Commercialization Team to discuss an idea.
Industry-Sponsored Research
Industry-sponsored research agreements include terms around a number of areas, including the licensing of any intellectual property arising from research. At Ohio State, under some circumstances, companies can choose from three IP options:
- the traditional option to negotiate a license to project IP on commercially reasonable terms;
- a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to project IP upon payment of an upfront TAF that is an additional 10% of the full cost of the sponsored research project ($6,000 minimum); or
- an assignment of Project IP rights upon payment of a TAF that is an additional 25% of the full cost of the sponsored research project ($15,000 minimum).
Technology Access Fees
A technology access fee (TAF) allows a company to pay an upfront fee before the research is conducted, and in exchange, receives known, up-front rights to any intellectual property that may result. This option provides transparency and reduces risks for companies when investing in external research.
TAF options are available for both single-project and master sponsored research agreements, where a company can decide on a project-by-project basis whether to elect one of the TAF options or the traditional licensing option. The sponsoring company must pay the full project cost reimbursement rate. No field-of-use limitations are imposed on the IP rights conveyed under the TAF Options.
Ohio State retains a royalty-free right to use project IP for research, public service, internal (including clinical) or educational purposes, and the right to grant the same limited rights to other non-profit research institutions.
TAF offerings excludes agreements:
- incorporating the use of federal or state funds by the company partner;
- including subcontracts to other entities;
- involving clinical trials or health sciences;
- receiving funding through philanthropic grant programs; or
- involving rights to background intellectual property owned or controlled by Ohio State.