USF Tech Transfer values the innovative technologies created by the faculty and students we work with every day and strives to make the process of disclosing a seamless experience. With TTO’s Inventor Portal, USF inventors can now submit their Invention Disclosures online in one easy step! 

TTO’s Inventor Portal replaces the old PDF process and allows users to automatically and seamlessly disclose new inventions, copyrights, and trademarks to USF. The Inventor Portal was designed to make disclosing faster and easier and allows inventors to communicate directly with the Tech Transfer team. It also allows users to save submissions as drafts to come back to and attach other supporting documents on this user-friendly portal. The portal increases the transparency of the tech transfer process and provides real-time updates so inventors can monitor and track the status of disclosures they have submitted. Users can also add interest tags and marketing targets to enhance the marketing efforts for technologies, providing a collaborative environment between inventors and Tech Transfer. The streamlined system produces more efficiency and accuracy, and it helps manage and support the commercialization of USF innovation. The portal can be accessed at: https://usf.inteum.com/usf/inventorportal/  

To learn more about the portal and how it helps our inventors: https://www.usf.edu/news/2022/new-online-portal-to-streamline-process-for-licensing-usf-inventions.aspx 

For any questions, please contact Tech Transfer at ttoinfo@usf.edu.   

Our office views technology transfer as a critical component for facilitating and sparking innovation and helping to connect USF with commercial partners in the community and beyond. When faculty or students submit an invention, it moves through our evaluation process. This process is designed to protect, market, and license technologies and other intellectual property with the most commercial promise. 

Once our office receives a new invention disclosure, an analysis of the market and existing prior art is a critical step to our evaluation of the technology. The business analysis support team is comprised of well-trained graduate student interns from both life sciences and engineering who conduct an extensive search for related patents and potential marketability information. The team also prepares a detailed market analysis and valuation comparables to help assess the technology and facilitate licensing and startup discussions. This is a very important step in the tech transfer process to identify commercialization opportunities and challenges. By confirming if it meets the novelty requirements set by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the interns save the inventor time, allowing them to focus more on their research.  

To learn more about our evaluation process and the internship program:  

https://www.usf.edu/news/2023/usf-sees-sharp-rise-in-innovations-and-technology.aspx

Welcome to the USF Technology Transfer Office’s blog!

As Director of the office, I have the privilege to work with faculty, staff and students across the USF campuses to help protect and ready new innovations for the commercial marketplace. Our mission is to seamlessly turn ground-breaking research into real-world solutions.

In our first post, let’s start with some basics about technology transfer:

What is a Technology Transfer Office?

A Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is a pivotal entity within academic and research institutions. Its primary role is to serve as an intermediary, facilitating the transfer of knowledge, innovations, and intellectual property from research environments to the commercial sector. TTOs bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical applications, ensuring that groundbreaking discoveries benefit society at large.

Why Do We Need TTOs?

1. Fostering Collaboration: TTOs foster collaboration between researchers, industry partners, and entrepreneurs. By connecting these stakeholders, TTOs create a vibrant ecosystem where ideas can flourish.

2. Turning Research into Reality: Brilliant ideas often remain confined to research papers or laboratories. TTOs play a crucial role in translating these ideas into tangible products, services, and technologies that improve lives.

3. Maximizing Impact: TTOs ensure that the immense intellectual capital generated within universities and research centers doesn’t go untapped. By licensing patents, forming spin-off companies, and promoting innovation, TTOs maximize the impact of research.

Key Functions of TTOs

1. Intellectual Property Management: TTOs safeguard and manage intellectual property (IP) arising from research. Whether it’s a groundbreaking algorithm, a novel drug compound, or a game-changing device, TTOs protect and commercialize these assets.

2. Licensing and Commercialization: TTOs negotiate licenses with industry partners, allowing them to use patented technologies. These licenses generate revenue for the institution while enabling companies to develop innovative products.

3. Start-Up Incubation: TTOs nurture fledgling start-ups by providing mentorship, workspace, and access to resources. Many successful companies trace their origins back to university-based TTOs.

4. Industry Partnerships: TTOs build strong relationships with industry players. Collaborative research projects, joint ventures, and technology-sharing agreements are common outcomes of these partnerships.

Get Involved!

Are you an inventor, entrepreneur, or industry leader? Reach out to our TTO. Let’s collaborate, innovate, and change the world together!

We encourage you to be a part of our ongoing conversation.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from our TTO. Subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media.