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Technology Transfer Process

  1. First, the inventors must complete an invention disclosure form and submit it to OTC.
  2. OTC will review the invention to search for Novelty, Obviousness, and Utility of the invention. OTC will look up for prior art in patent databases, scholarly articles, general media, and more. OTC will ask for clarification from the inventors to understand how their invention differs from the prior art. OTC will also conduct market studies to estimate the commercial suitability of the invention.
  3. If the invention looks novel after that search and has commercial potential, OTC submits it to one of the patent law firms allowed by the State Attorney General, to draft a provisional patent and submit it to USPTO. If it appears the patent may not pass novelty tests, or if it is demonstrably not economically feasible, the invention may be released back to the inventors to pursue independently from the university.
  4. If the patent issues, OTC will find potential licensees using UT System resources, trade groups, contacts at other universities, and suggestions by the faculty inventors.
  5. A license gets negotiated by OTC, approved by the VP for Research, and executed.
  6. Royalties are collected by UTRGV. The university recovers patent and licensing costs first, then begins to distribute the shared royalties to inventors.
  7. Royalty audits, milestones, patent maintenance fees, sublicense negotiations, and other maintenance work are handled by OTC for the life of the patent.