Commercialization Policy

Austin Peay State University supports faculty, staff, and students who want to move research, inventions, and creative work into real-world use. This page explains the policies that govern intellectual property (IP) at APSU and the steps to follow when you think you have something with commercial potential.

The governing policy is APSU Policy 2:047, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer. This page is a summary. If anything here differs from the policy, the policy controls.

Applicable policies

The full list of University policies is in the APSU Numerical Policy Index.

What the policy covers

Policy 2:047 applies to inventions, software, and copyrightable works created by APSU faculty, staff, and students. Whether APSU, the creator, or a sponsor holds rights in a particular work depends on factors such as:

whether the work was created within the scope of University employment or a student work assignment;
whether University facilities, equipment, funds, or staff time were used;
the terms of any grant, contract, or sponsored research agreement that supported the work; and
any written agreement that commissioned the work.

Creating something and owning it are not the same. If you are unsure how the policy applies to your work, email innovation@apsu.edu before you share it, sell it, or sign anything.

Federally and state-funded work

Inventions made under a federal award are subject to federal invention-reporting rules (the Bayh-Dole Act, 35 U.S.C. §§ 200–212, and 37 CFR Part 401), which set firm deadlines for reporting an invention to the funding agency. State and private sponsors often have their own IP terms. Disclose promptly so ORSP can meet these obligations on your behalf.

Before you publish or present

Publicly sharing an invention (a paper, poster, conference talk, thesis, website, or pitch) can limit or eliminate patent protection, especially outside the United States. Talk to us before you disclose your work publicly so we can review your options. Disclosing to ORSP does not stop you from publishing; it lets us protect your work first when that makes sense.

Commercialization process at APSU

Talk to us. Email innovation@apsu.edu to meet with APSU's Commercialization Counselor. No idea is too early.
Disclose your work. Complete the Invention Disclosure Form (PDF) or the Copyrightable Work Disclosure Form (PDF) (fillable PDFs). Email it to Kelly Pitts at pittsk@apsu.edu and copy innovation@apsu.edu. Do not sign the draft. Full instructions are on the Forms page.
ORSP review. ORSP reviews the disclosure, follows up with questions, and routes the final version for signatures through Adobe Sign.
Evaluation and protection. The University evaluates novelty, commercial potential, and sponsor obligations, and decides whether to seek protection (for example, a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a copyright registration, or a trademark) under Policy 2:047.
Licensing and partnerships. APSU works with creators to find licensees and industry partners. Creators are encouraged to help identify partners, but licenses and other IP agreements are negotiated and signed only by authorized University officials, not by the inventor or principal investigator.
Revenue. Income from licensed APSU intellectual property is distributed as provided in Policy 2:047.

Agreements with outside parties

Faculty, staff, and students should not sign agreements on behalf of APSU. Send these to ORSP for review and execution:

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): Use APSU's Mutual NDA (PDF) before sharing unpublished research or invention details with a company. If a company sends its own NDA, forward it to pittsk@apsu.edu.
Material transfer, data use, and sponsored research agreements: Forward to ORSP before any materials, data, or work change hands.

Funding to move your idea forward

APSU is a member of the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC), led by Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN). Members of the APSU community can access TTAC Proof of Concept funding, Innovation Fellowships, Travel Grants, and more. See Govs Nexus and Commercialization for current opportunities.

Report misuse

Misuse or unauthorized commercialization of APSU intellectual property can be a serious violation of University policy. If you believe APSU intellectual property has been misused, contact ORSP at innovation@apsu.edu.

Contact

Govs Nexus and Commercialization
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)
Email: innovation@apsu.edu

Michael J. Wilson, Ph.D., Commercialization Counselor
wilsonm@apsu.edu

Kelly Pitts, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
pittsk@apsu.edu | (931) 221-7881