Funding for Patent Applications for CIRM-funded Inventions out of Stanford University

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Grant Award Details

Grant Number:
PA1-06901
Investigator(s):
Name:
Institution:
Type:
PI

Award Value:
$3,525
Status:
Closed

Grant Application Details

Application Title:

Funding for Patent Applications for CIRM-funded Inventions out of Stanford University

Public Abstract:
Stanford receives around 500 new invention disclosures per year from a faculty base of over 1,800 members and over 15,000 students, as well as some staff. Our licensing professionals have a wealth of experience in technology transfer as well as business development and evaluate each invention disclosure provided to the office. Most of our licensing associates have been in technology transfer more than a decade.

At Stanford's Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), all of the licensing people work on partnership identification. The associates are keeping their eyes and ears open about areas in which industry is working, and linking up with industry in areas of common interest. The liaisons as well as our “marketing posse” work on our direct marketings to companies of our available technologies.

Our available technologies are all posted on our TechFinder web site (techfinder.stanford.edu). Many of our licensing partners are also found through connections the researchers have with industry.

To evaluate our potential licensing partners, particularly for exclusive licensing, we ask them to provide development information for the particular technology. Points from this development plan are used in any eventual license agreement as diligence milestones.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Patent protection is very expensive. Before getting to national phase applications (30 months after priority application is filed), we have often spent $20,000 to $30,000 on U.S. and PCT applications alone, and that is just for a single invention. By seeking broader patent coverage, the chances are greater that Stanford will find licensees for the programs. If we have a better chance of finding a licensee, then a product is more likely to be developed and for the citizens of California to benefit from this product. Also, more revenue may be brought back to the State if more product sales are covered around the world.