What is the Office of Technology Transfer?
The Office of Technology Transfer helps UAlbany students, faculty and staff increase the societal impact of their research, teaching and service by providing services that enable campus community members to find commercial and public uses for their academic work.
Note: Our office was formerly named the Office for Innovation Development & Commercialization.
Learn how we can help:
UAlbany researchers’ innovations (intellectual property or IP) are as diverse as their research — ranging from tangible inventions, software and databases to business methods, diagnostic criteria and teaching tools.
Log into the SUNY RF Inventor Portal | Request a SUNY RF Inventor Portal account
How We Help UAlbany Researchers
We can help faculty, staff and students:
- Identify novel innovations and assess the potential user community and markets for those inventions
- Protect intellectual property through patent, trademark and/or copyright, as appropriate
- Evaluate pathways and develop strategies for development and commercialization
- Find partners and negotiate agreements that provide value to all partners while preserving options and intellectual property rights for UAlbany participants
Here are a few reasons why you’d want to contact our office:
- If you want to receive, or share, specialized research material from, or with, another organization, we’ll negotiate a Material Transfer Agreement.
- If you want to enrich your research by interacting with companies, we will share our experience, brainstorm options and help you plan next steps.
- If a company wants to fund your research, we will work with the Sponsored Programs Administration to negotiate a sponsorship agreement that provides mutual value and fosters a long-term relationship.
- If a company or entrepreneur wants to use your idea or invention in a commercial enterprise, we will explore options, draft a licensing agreement and negotiate favorable terms that allow you to financially benefit through royalty payments that can support further research.
- If you want to start a company, we’ll connect you with the expertise and resources you need to become a successful entrepreneur.
- If you want to exchange proprietary or confidential information with someone not affiliated with UAlbany, we will draft, negotiate and execute a Mutual Confidential Disclosure Agreement (MCDA) to enable this activity.
researchers
How We Help Sponsors & Industry Partners
We can help sponsors and industry stakeholders:
- Find an appropriate template for an IP Agreement, including an Option, License, Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) or Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
- Identify faculty collaborators on campus who match your interests
- Determine how to best partner with UAlbany for research, development and commercialization
partners
Innovation Ownership & Management Policies
The following policies govern the management of innovation development and commercialization at UAlbany:
- SUNY Patents & Inventions Policy
- SUNY Copyright Policy
- SUNY Computer Software Policy
- SUNY RF Intellectual Property Policy
Typically, on behalf of UAlbany, the Research Foundation for SUNY (SUNY RF) holds the title to innovations developed by funded students, employees and anyone else who has substantial use of SUNY and/or SUNY RF facilities in the conduct of research work that produces intellectual property.
Valid inventors of patentable inventions, as well as the authors and intellectual contributors to computer software, are entitled to 40% of gross royalties, after intellectual property protection expenses are recovered by the Office of Technology Transfer. For other forms of innovation, royalties are based on the specific circumstance.