Collaborations with industry partners promote intellectual exchange, foster broad recognition for your efforts, and attract financial support. Even for early-stage research deemed commercially promising, collaborations with industry can often bridge the proverbial bench-to-bedside gap and help prove the value of research and clinical innovations.
Our team of commercialization experts will work with you to commercialize your invention. This includes protection and management of the intellectual property (IP) in your invention, based on UHN’s forward-thinking Intellectual Property (IP) Policy. From your invention disclosure, our team of experts will guide you to the most suitable commercialization path, while ensuring the stewardship of valuable IP.
Contact our team to learn more.
Commercialization is a critical step in translating your research innovations “from bench to bedside”, where they can make an impact on patient lives. This technology transfer process can be conceptualized as a continuous cycle in which licensed products in the marketplace help fund future research and innovation.
Observations and experiments during research activities often lead to discoveries and inventions. An invention is any useful process, machine, composition of matter (e.g., a chemical or biological compound), or any new or useful improvement of these. Often, multiple researchers, including trainees and research staff, contribute to an invention and may be considered inventors.
This written notice of invention to Commercialization at UHN begins the formal commercialization process. With an IPD, inventors connect to the experts in our office to discuss a potential commercialization path. The Invention Disclosure is a confidential document that fully describes the new aspects of the invention, including the critical solution it provides and its advantages and benefits over current technologies.
Researchers are encouraged to submit invention disclosures in advance of any external engagement or publication opportunities, using the invention disclosure form available via UHN’s Wellspring system (after logging in, click on "Intellectual Property Disclosure Submission" in the Tasks box on the right.)
You can also submit a completed version of the IPD FORM to: [email protected]
When should I complete an Invention Disclosure?
You should complete an Invention Disclosure whenever you feel you have discovered something unique with potential commercial value or when the terms of your Sponsored Research require disclosure of inventions to a third party. Ideally, this should be done well before featuring the discovery in publications, conference presentations or posters, press releases, or other communications. Once the essence of an invention is publicly disclosed (i.e., published or presented in some written form to a non-UHN audience), potential patent rights may be limited and you may be unable to protect your invention. Be sure to inform Commercialization at UHN of any imminent (or prior) presentation, lecture, poster, abstract, website description, research proposal, dissertation/Master's thesis, publication, or other public presentation of the invention.
Helpful tips
• An invention does not need to be patentable to be submitted as an Invention Disclosure
• All UHN employees, including UHN researchers, clinicians, staff, postdoctoral fellows and students, should submit an Invention Disclosure whenever they think they have made a discovery, invention, innovation, or significant advancements/improvement to existing health care options
Not sure if your innovation qualifies? Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your individual situation.
Commercialization at UHN will review the Invention Disclosure, conduct patent searches (if applicable), and analyze the market and competitive technologies to assess the invention's commercialization potential. This assessment process will guide our licensing strategy; for example, it will inform whether the discovery is licensed exclusively or non- exclusively, or whether it is licensed in different fields of use, etc.
Patent protection, a common legal protection method for intellectual property, begins with the filing of a patent application—often as a provisional patent application in the United States, a market that commonly serves as a "first market" for many technologies. Within a year, it will need to be decided whether to make a further filing to preserve U.S., Canada and other international patent rights under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The process of obtaining an issued patent takes several years and costs tens of thousands of dollars with no guarantee of success. Other commonly used forms of Intellectual Property protection include copyrighting and trademarking. Unique biological materials and software can often be successfully licensed without formal Intellectual Property protection.
What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), IP refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols, names and images used in commerce. IP may be protected under patent, trademark, trade secret, and/or copyright laws.
Although an invention does not necessarily need to be patented to find a licensee, inventions at UHN are often patented. A patent gives the holder the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing the invention. Thus, a patent does not necessarily provide the holder any affirmative right to use a technology, since it may fall under a broader patent owned by others. Instead, it provides the right to exclude others from using it. Thus, patent claims are the legal definition of an inventor's protectable invention.
How does Patenting work at UHN?
Commercialization at UHN is responsible for the protection of UHN inventions via the strategic management of associated IP, which includes the filing of patents. Inventors liaise with Commercialization at UHN’s in-house patent practitioners in drafting the patent applications and responses to patent office prosecution transactions.
Patent protection is often required by a potential commercialization partner (licensee), because it can protect the often sizable investment required to bring technologies to market. Due to their expense (which is covered by UHN), patent applications are intended to cover commercially promising inventions and thus are not possible for all UHN IP. We carefully review the commercial potential of an invention before investing in the patent process. However, because the need for commencing a patent filing sometimes precedes finding a licensee, we look for creative and cost-effective ways to seek early protections for as many promising inventions as possible.
Commercialization at UHN and the inventor(s) together discuss relevant factors in deciding whether to file a patent application. Ultimately, UHN will make the final decision as to whether to file a patent application or seek another form of protection.
What if I created the invention with someone from another institution or company?
Typically, the technology will be jointly owned and each inventor assigns the invention to his or her employer. Your Commercialization at UHN Licensing and Commercialization Professional will work with the other organizations under "Inter-Institutional Agreements" (IIA's) that provide for one of the institutions to take the lead in protecting and licensing the invention, sharing of expenses associated with the patenting process, and allocating any licensing royalties.
For more information about IP ownership as a UHN employee, please see the UHN IP Policy (available to Team UHN on UHN's intranet) or contact Commercialization at UHN.
Commercialization at UHN is committed to marketing UHN inventions to companies that may be interested in their commercialization. In collaboration with the inventor(s), Commercialization at UHN creates a marketing analysis and overview of medical technologies discovered at UHN. Commercialization at UHN then identifies potential industry partners with the expertise, resources and business strategies required to bring the technology to market.
Typically, there is only one interested party or none at all. However, if there are several parties interested in a license, we will endeavor to license non-exclusively or grant field-of-use licenses, if appropriate to the technology area. If it is not possible to accommodate all interested parties, we will license the invention to the company that is most committed and able to bring the technology to market.
Launching a Start-up
A start-up, or new venture, is a new business entity formed to commercialize one or more related IPs. View UHN's unique new venture approach to learn more about creating a new venture at UHN.
Start-up Key Considerations
Start-ups involve significant investment of time and resources. Key considerations to be taken prior to launching a start-up include:
• Development risk – often large companies in established industries are unwilling to take risks on an unproven technology
• Development costs versus investment return – because of the high risk of start-up companies, investors often require many multiples of return before committing funds
• Platform technology – few companies survive on one product alone; technologies that can be commercialized for multiple products or services are more likely to lead to successful start-up companies
• Competitive advantage and target market – these must be sufficiently large for the start-up to succeed
• Potential revenues – this must be sufficient to grow and sustain the start-up
Interested in learning more about launching a new venture at UHN? Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your individual situation.
Commercialization at UHN negotiates and executes license agreements. These agreements provide a company with certain rights to UHN IP in return for financial and other benefits, with the objective of garnering "fair value" to UHN for its investment. An option agreement is sometimes used to allow a company to evaluate the technology for a limited time before a formal license agreement is concluded.
Many of UHN's research inventions are early stage and require further research and development efforts before being brought to market. UHN Commercialization undertakes significant de-risking investments/activities in order to mitigate this and mature it research inventions. The licensee company will also undertake significant investments of time and funding to further commercialize the product or service. This step may entail regulatory approvals, sales and marketing, support, training, and other activities.
Royalties received by UHN from licensees are distributed according to UHN policy to inventors and to UHN to fund additional research and operations. Royalties include both cash and equity received from licensees in consideration for granting the license. UHN Community members can view UHN's Intellectual Property Policy for more detail (available in the Policies section of UHN's corporate intranet).
Royalties returned to UHN collectively foster the creation of the next generation of research and innovators.
Content adapted with permission from University of Michigan's Inventor's Guide to Technology Transfer.
The first critical step to commercializing your discovery is to engage with Commercialization at UHN in advance of any public disclosure, including a presentation, publication or other opportunity where information critical to future patentability could be disclosed and available within the public domain.
This is why UHN’s Intellectual Property Policy (available to Team UHN via the corporate intranet) requires researchers/Team UHN to submit an Intellectual Property Disclosure (also known as an Invention Disclosure) to the Commercialization at UHN Office upon making a discovery or creating something with potential commercial value.
Do you have an invention to disclose? You can submit a completed IPD FORM to: [email protected]
Examples of disclosures include new therapeutic entities such as small molecules, NCEs or biologics, diagnostic methods, medical devices, software, clinical tools or questionnaires.
Researchers are encouraged to submit invention disclosures in advance of any external engagement or publication opportunities, using the invention disclosure form available via UHN’s Wellspring system (after logging in, click on "Intellectual Property Disclosure Submission" in the Tasks box on the right.).
If you are not sure what to disclose, please contact us at [email protected]; we encourage you to engage with our team here at Commercialization at UHN to understand more about commercially viable inventions.
By submitting an IPD, you will enable the exploration of commercialization opportunities for your invention and ensure legal protection and future marketability - even if right now, this might not be what you are thinking of exploring.
• As soon as your invention or work can be clearly described
• Prior to making any public disclosure of your work (e.g., abstract submission, poster presentation, journal publication, conference participation or thesis)
Don’t hesitate to contact the Commercialization at UHN office at [email protected] to discuss the details of your invention and to answer any questions you may have.
Protecting your intellectual property when collaborating with third parties is essential. Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) specify the rights, obligations, and restrictions of both parties with respect to issues such as ownership, publication, intellectual property and permitted use and liability.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal via UHN's Wellspring System; once logged in, in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected]
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
If you would like to send materials to an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain all required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
2. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal via UHN's Wellspring System, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected]
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the materials to be sent, in the subject of the email.
Note: Outbound material transfers from UHN to industry partners for the purposes of research led by the industry partner (i.e., research not conducted by or at the request of UHN), are processed as a Non-Exclusive License (NEL). Please connect with Laura Farran, [email protected], before initiating these biomaterials’ transfer to industry.
This video shows step by step instructions for how to submit an MTA
If you are a researcher working with a Canadian hospital, university, or federal/provincial government entity or other not-for-profit organization in Canada, we have developed the “COVID Master Data & Biological Sample Transfer Agreement.”
This simple to use, streamlined template allows for inter-institutional COVID research (both basic and clinical) to be streamlined across the country. The template has been achieved through ‘easy to agree’ terms, and a simple ‘implementing form’ approach which allows flexibility for additional and/or overriding language to suit each situation if necessary, and we are pleased to extend its adoption widely.
The template has been achieved through ‘easy to agree’ terms, and a simple ‘implementing form’ approach which allows flexibility for additional and/or overriding language to suit each situation if necessary, and we are pleased to extend its adoption widely.
In fact, at least 40 institutions across Canada have joined the shared template model since the initiative began in 2020.
The validity of the Master Agreement was extended to December 31, 2023, using Amendment 1 and consequently, further extended to December 31, 2025 by virtue of Amendment 2.
Read the Original
master agreementIf your institution is a signatory to the COVID D/MTA, you can use this expedited agreement process.
Download the TEMPLATEView the list of
participating organizationsThe Toronto Academic Health Science Network, of which UHN is a member, comprises academic health organizations providing leading-edge research, teaching and clinical care in and around the greater Toronto area.
All members share a joint mission of health and biomedical-related research and work cooperatively to facilitate and enhance collaboration among researchers. As part of a collaborative initiative among the TAHSN member institutions and taking advantage of the high trust among members, researchers at TAHSN institutions can take advantage of an expedited, researcher-empowered process for completing simple Data and Material Transfer Agreements (D/MTAs).
To that end, a simple D/MTA template has been adopted for common use. The template aims to enhance research collaborations through an efficient and timely exchange of data and material for research purposes across TAHSN institutions and researchers.
Once completed, please email it to: [email protected]
This collaboration supports our ecosystem in the creation of a competitive advantage in life science research and commercialization, taking important research to the front of the line. Ultimately, it fosters inter-institutional collaboration to accelerate benefit to patients.
NOTE:
This template should not be used to transfer data or material in the following circumstances:
• Data and/or materials are to be used for commercial purposes.
• Data and/or materials are being transferred within a larger collaboration or joint
research initiative.
• Large or bulk quantities of data or material are to be transferred.
• Funding or money is being transferred.
You can access the Context and Guidance Regarding Use of Simple D/MTA Template here for more information and a list of eligible institutions.
Please see below for answers to many frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact Commercialization at UHN.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Research commercialization involves the pathway to scale research to maximum patient impact, whether it is through licensing IP rights to another institution or stewarding UHN discoveries within the walls of a new venture, or entering into longer-term research collaborations or partnerships to advance the research and share associated risks/costs.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Often referred to by institutions as “technology transfer”, this is the part of the research commercialization process involving a formal agreement related to managing and stewarding UHN IP related to UHN discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research, when such IP is being used by another organization. IP rights can be made available through various means.
The major steps in this process typically include:
(1) An invention disclosure to Commercialization at UHN;
(2) establishing protection for the discoveries/innovations (e.g. using patents and copyrights) prior to publication of scientific research; and
(3) stewarding or licensing the IP rights to another party or industrial partner for commercial development.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, , Intellectual property (IP) is defined as "creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce." Generally, the majority of IP created at UHN pertains to discoveries, inventions, with the remaining being copyrighted research or institutional works (e.g. software code).
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Public disclosure includes any presentation, abstract, poster, thesis submission to the library, online publication, or any other form of disclosure that is accessible to members of the public. It should be noted that some meetings or conferences publish submitted abstracts several months prior to the actual events, and which may serve as a public disclosure. Once the essence of an invention is publicly disclosed, potential patent rights may be limited. Be sure to inform Commercialization at UHN of any anticipated (or prior) public disclosure of your invention, as early as possible.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
The invention disclosure process begins with the submission of an Invention Disclosure form to Commercialization at UHN : https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net
Not sure if you've made an invention?
Contact us at [email protected] to understand more about the invention disclosure process.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Yes. Please inform Commercialization at UHN at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the anticipated publication to provide us with adequate time to respond to your invention disclosure.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Not necessarily. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this further, as there may be circumstances under which patent protection can still be obtained.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Yes.
Confidential Disclosure Agreements (sometimes referred to as Non Disclosure Agreements) should be in place before any discussion of unpublished work takes place. This includes conversations, meetings, presentations, and any form of communication where confidential or proprietary information is exchanged. Commercialization at UHN can help you put a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) in place in advance of these discussions.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Absolutely. An innovation does not need to be patented to be licensed. Increasingly, industry is licensing the intangibles around key discoveries, such as knowledge and know-how. Additionally, many inventions such as clinical questionnaires and software do not usually fall under patentability requirements, but can often be successfully licensed to external parties.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Through successful commercialization, inventors see the translation of their discoveries and innovations into services and products that impact patients' lives. Monetary proceeds from commercialization revenue are distributed between the inventor(s) of the intellectual property and UHN according to UHN’s Intellectual Policy. You can read more about the distribution of commercialization revenue in the UHN IP Policy located on the corporate intranet
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Certain grants and agreements include sophisticated Intellectual Property and commercial terms; GCS and Commercialization at UHN work together on these. We've created this helpful diagram to help you identify which office to contact. When in doubt, please contact Commercialization at UHN.
If you would like to receive materials from an academic institution or company, please follow the steps below to complete a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA):
1. Obtain the MTA from the academic institution or company.
2. Complete all required fields of the MTA from the academic institution or company and obtain all other required documentation, e.g., REB approval from either the external partner or from UHN, etc.
3. Once you have completed the above, submit your request, including all required documents, to the Commercialization at UHN office for processing via our online MTA Portal (log-in using your UHN Credentials) :
For reference, our tutorial materials on the MTA portal are located on the Commercialization at UHN Research Intranet, within the Technology Transfer & Commercialization department.
You can also view our portal video tutorial here.
Please use your UHN credentials to log-in to the MTA portal: https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net, and in the Tasks Box, click “Material and/or Data Transfer Agreement Portal”
For any questions, please contact our office at [email protected].
To serve you better, please include the name of the external party (academic institution or company) and of the requested materials, in the subject of the email.
Research commercialization involves the pathway to scale research to maximum patient impact, whether it is through licensing IP rights to another institution or stewarding UHN discoveries within the walls of a new venture, or entering into longer-term research collaborations or partnerships to advance the research and share associated risks/costs.
Often referred to by institutions as “technology transfer”, this is the part of the research commercialization process involving a formal agreement related to managing and stewarding UHN IP related to UHN discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research, when such IP is being used by another organization. IP rights can be made available through various means.
The major steps in this process typically include:
(1) An invention disclosure to Commercialization at UHN;
(2) establishing protection for the discoveries/innovations (e.g. using patents and copyrights) prior to publication of scientific research; and
(3) stewarding or licensing the IP rights to another party or industrial partner for commercial development.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, , Intellectual property (IP) is defined as "creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce." Generally, the majority of IP created at UHN pertains to discoveries, inventions, with the remaining being copyrighted research or institutional works (e.g. software code).
Public disclosure includes any presentation, abstract, poster, thesis submission to the library, online publication, or any other form of disclosure that is accessible to members of the public. It should be noted that some meetings or conferences publish submitted abstracts several months prior to the actual events, and which may serve as a public disclosure. Once the essence of an invention is publicly disclosed, potential patent rights may be limited. Be sure to inform Commercialization at UHN of any anticipated (or prior) public disclosure of your invention, as early as possible.
The invention disclosure process begins with the submission of an Invention Disclosure form to Commercialization at UHN : https://uhn.wellspringsoftware.net
Not sure if you've made an invention?
Contact us at [email protected] to understand more about the invention disclosure process.
Yes. Please inform Commercialization at UHN at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the anticipated publication to provide us with adequate time to respond to your invention disclosure.
Not necessarily. Please reach out to us to discuss this further, as there may be circumstances under which patent protection can still be obtained.
Yes.
Confidential Disclosure Agreements (sometimes referred to as Non-Disclosure Agreements) should be in place before any discussion of unpublished work takes place. This includes conversations, meetings, presentations, and any form of communication where confidential or proprietary information is exchanged. Commercialization at UHN can help you put a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) in place in advance of these discussions.
Absolutely. An innovation does not need to be patented to be licensed. Increasingly, industry is licensing the intangibles around key discoveries, such as knowledge and know-how. Additionally, many inventions such as clinical questionnaires and software do not usually fall under patentability requirements, but can often be successfully licensed to external parties.
Through successful commercialization, inventors see the translation of their discoveries and innovations into services and products that impact patients' lives. Monetary proceeds from commercialization revenue are distributed between the inventor(s) of the intellectual property and UHN according to UHN’s Intellectual Policy. You can read more about the distribution of commercialization revenue in the UHN IP Policy located on the corporate intranet
Certain grants and agreements include sophisticated Intellectual Property and commercial terms; GCS and Commercialization at UHN work together on these. We've created this helpful diagram to help you identify which office to contact.
All CDAs (often referred to as NDAs) governing the exchange of proprietary or confidential information involving UHN researchers must be reviewed by Commercialization at UHN.
CDAs are important because they:
• Protect confidential information being shared
• Outline and limit the purpose for which the information is being shared
• Preserve the ability to patent the invention(s) being disclosed
To transfer and protect confidential information shared between two parties, please use UHN’s Confidential Disclosure Agreement Template that can be downloaded below. Use of the UHN template will ensure faster review of the agreement.
Once reviewed and signed, please email the partially-signed CDA to the attention of Commercialization at UHN at [email protected]
All CDAs involving UHN researchers must be reviewed by Commercialization at UHN.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Commercialization at UHN with any questions.
SRAs are used when industry, government or another non-academic third party (ie, the sponsor) wishes to work collaboratively with a UHN investigator or team to pursue a project of mutual interest, and is willing to provide financial support in pursuit of the project.
UHN’s Sponsored Research Agreement template can be downloaded below. Use of the UHN template will ensure faster review of the agreement.
Both Service Agreements and Sponsored Research Agreements are subject to institutional overhead, at a rate of 40%.
We welcome you to contact Commercialization at UHN to discuss the details of your situation or interest in collaborative research at UHN.
Service Agreements (SAs) are used when industry, government or another non-academic third party (ie, the requestor) is looking to engage a UHN investigator or team to perform research tasks on behalf of the requestor. UHN investigators tend to prefer more collaborative arrangements, such as Sponsored Research Agreements.
The Service Agreement template can be downloaded below.
Use of the UHN template will ensure faster review of the agreement. We welcome you to contact Commercialization at UHN to discuss the details of your situation or interest in collaborative research at UHN.