This study looks at who files invention disclosure reports, and how often. The study helps answer questions such as: which academic fields account for the most invention disclosure reports? How many reports are typically filed by faculty with more than $10 million in lifetime academic grants vs. those with less than $1 million? What is the record of men relative to women? Or tenured faculty vs. the untenured on a tenure track.
The study also gives highly detailed data on the individuals and entities that encourage faculty to file invention disclosure reports, with specific data separately for the influence of department chair, other fellow faculty, the university research office, and the university technology transfer office or its equivalent.
The report also looks at how easy or difficulty faculty find it to file an invention disclosure report and gives detailed faculty opinion on the terms of the split of revenues between faculty and university that result when invention disclosures turn into marketable patents, spin offs, licenses or other revenue producing intellectual property or arrangements.
Just a few of this 49-page study’s many findings are that:
Almost all those who found the TTO extremely or very effective in the invention disclosure process were over age 49.
12.55% of STEM-related faculty sampled have filed an invention disclosure report.
Favorable views of revenue splits offered by universities for patents, licenses and other revenue producing intellectual property or entities were highest among those with more than $10 million in lifetime academic grant receipts.