The Partnerships Office is happy to talk to any researcher at any stage of research. We like to identify research leading to technologies with commercial potential in the earliest stages, when possible, in order to give the best services to researchers. Services we offer to researchers include:
Intellectual property (IP) management services
- advice on copyright issues
- advice patents and patent-ability
- patent searches
- advice on confidentiality or non-disclosure clauses
- material transfer agreements
- patenting
- commercialization of research results
- lectures on IP tailored to specific classes
- evaluation of the commercial potential of inventions and other innovation.
Industry liaison services
- negotiation of overhead rates on research contracts
- facilitating interactions between groups of researchers and specific sectors of the non-academic world
UNBC Research Clusters
Looking for expertise in a particular area?
UNBC Research Clusters bring together researchers who work in broad-based thematic areas of research. These Clusters highlight UNBC's research diversity and strengths. Contact research@unbc.ca to find out more.
NRC IRAP Program
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) delivers its Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) through Industrial Technology Advisors (ITA), whose work enhances the services of UNBC's Partnerships Office.
Copyright
The Partnerships Office can provide help with various copyright issues. For example:
- Obtaining copyright
- Moral rights – should they be waived?
- Licensing copyright
- Copyright issue in research and other contracts
- Commercial exploitation of copyright works
Commercialization
Recognizing the unique role of universities as public institutions of higher learning with a mandate to produce new knowledge, UNBC strives to produce benefits to society by publicizing research findings and, where appropriate, encouraging the application of research results in tangible ways which may include commercial activities. The Partnerships Office works with the creators of IP to determine the appropriate path for commercialization based on the IP and the abilities and desires of the creator. Possibilities include sale or licensing of the IP and building a company around the IP.
The Partnerships Office encourages the disposition of intellectual property in ways which assure maximum benefit to the creators, to the University and to society-at-large, without whose participation the intellectual property (IP) could not have been generated.
Patenting
If you feel your research has the potential to lead to a commercially viable invention you are encouraged to contact the Partnerships Office as early in the process as practical. If you are a faculty member, you are advised to read the relevant sections of the Faculty Agreement.
In addition the Partnerships Office will provide some advice for inventions made outside the university. We can also help obtain copies of issued patents and help with patent searches.
Links
- Patent searches: Patscan
- Patents, copyrights, trademarks in Canada: Canadian Intellectual Property Office
- Searchable database of U.S. patents: United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Definitions of intellectual property: Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
Contract Issues
The Partnerships Office works closely with other members of the Office of Research and Innovation and the Research Contract Coordinator in the review of research contracts. The Partnerships Office is particularly concerned with clauses with respect to intellectual property and its ownership; confidentiality and data ownership/disposition and all industrial research contracts. For all contract research projects please consult with us before presenting a budget to potential clients so that we can help ensure that the charges for indirect costs (overheads) are appropriate.
Contact
Mark Barnes
Director, Office of Research and Innovation
Phone: 250-960-5184
Email: mark.barnes@unbc.ca