McMaster University
McMaster University ranks among Canada’s most research-intensive universities and is consistently ranked as one of the world’s Top 100 universities. It is our goal and responsibility to use our evidence-based knowledge to further understanding, drive change and, ultimately, advance human and societal health and well-being. Through knowledge mobilization, technology transfer and commercialization activities, we are committed to placing that knowledge in the hands of those who can put it to its best use, to maximize the social and economic benefit with long-lasting impact for the McMaster community, greater Hamilton region, Ontario, Canada and the world.
This framework outlines the university’s guiding principles and the supporting infrastructure that ensures effective management of intellectual property (IP) created at McMaster University while respecting the interests of faculty, staff, students, and clinicians at our affiliated hospitals, along with those of our corporate, not-for-profit, and government partners.
The success and competitiveness of high-growth companies in the knowledge economy relies on access and rights to IP. A key objective in McMaster’s Institutional Priorities and Strategic Framework is to drive economic prosperity and social innovation. We recognize that IP protection of university-developed innovations is critical to our engagement with commercialization partners. These partners, including existing companies, startups, entrepreneurs and Canadian and foreign investors, are needed to transform research results into new products and services that result in social and economic benefit and impact. McMaster University is committed to providing the financial and administrative support to effectively and responsibly manage and protect IP arising from research to maximize impact to the region, the province and the country.
To ensure McMaster’s national and global competitiveness, the university continues to make strategic investments to enhance its research enterprise. As outlined in the Strategic Research Plan, McMaster recognizes the importance of Knowledge Transfer and Commercialization as a key enabling strategy to maximize our research impact. The commercialization of our research is governed by the Joint IP Policy that encourages a culture of innovation and promotes the dissemination of IP for the benefit of society. The Policy outlines the process for invention disclosure by McMaster researchers and resources to ensure that IP is protected and managed to maximize the potential for commercialization and proceed-sharing among IP Creators and our affiliated institutions.
The McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO), reporting to the VP Research, has the administrative responsibility for the Joint IP Policy as it relates to effective management of IP and commercialization of research results developed in the labs at the university and its affiliated hospitals. As such, MILO facilitates collaborative research with industry and not-for-profit partners and provides resources and expertise to guide researchers through the commercialization process. Institutional resources to support IP creators throughout this process include:
IP may also be created as part of the academic mission, for which the Joint IP Policy does not apply. For example, IP created by students that is not a result of research shall be owned by the student(s) as outlined in the Ownership of Student Work policy. This includes IP created by students as part of extracurricular activities (e.g., student clubs) or as part of their academic course work that is unrelated to research (e.g., Capstone projects). Similarly, instructional teaching materials created by faculty members is governed by the Copyright Ownership and Policy Framework for Licensing of Instructional Material. Under this policy, instructors shall either own the copyright of teaching materials that they create independently or jointly own in the case of significant university resources used in the creation of those materials.
These policies are designed to support our faculty, staff, and students in realizing the socio-economic impact of McMaster-created IP. Regardless of the applicable policy, the university is committed to investing in enabling resources to support our community of innovators.
Faculty, staff and students are required to disclose to MILO their research-related creations and discoveries, through on-line invention or copyright disclosure forms or by contacting MILO. As outlined in the Inventor’s Guide, IP creators are expected to engage with MILO and potential licensees throughout the commercialization process for input related to:
While the time commitment may vary and is at the discretion of the IP creator(s), typically, the most successful commercialization outcomes are a result of positive and active engagement from the IP creator(s), and a strong partnership with MILO to work together as a team to market and commercialize or promote the use of the IP.
McMaster’s goal to increase our IP capacity shall be driven and enhanced by entrepreneurial and IP educational resources including:
Aligned with the university’s mission and vision, MILO’s guiding principles regarding research partnerships and commercialization of IP are driven by maximizing impact globally and creating a net benefit to Ontario and Canada. As applicable, the university achieves this by:
In addition to the institutional resources and networking opportunities described above, McMaster shall continue to participate in local and national innovation ecosystems to ensure impact and benefit from university-generated IP, and supports its researchers and entrepreneurs through: