As soon as you have a new invention or discovery that you think might lead to a product or service that could benefit the public, please think of UNLV’s Office of Technology Transfer as the first place to explore the possibilities. Don’t wait until after you have pursued scholarly publication of your research regarding these ideas; publication will affect our ability to secure patent protection for your intellectual property. New patent procedures offer us ways to help you on short notice, if necessary.

It should be noted that inventions discovered by UNLV employees or those who have used substantial university resources must be disclosed to the university. If you have any questions regarding this matter, again, we recommend that you contact the Office of Technology Transfer as soon as you think you might have an invention. Not only will the office help to clarify the situation, its involvement may lead to the process of protecting and commercializing your invention. This can be good news for you because the university assumes the burden of protecting and commercializing the invention and provides 60% of net proceeds to the researcher(s). It should be noted that your share is as high as you will find at any university, and it costs you nothing (but some of your time) to pursue commercialization.

Please note that disclosing your invention or discovery to the university is required if your project has been supported by extramural grants. (A downloadable form called the Research Disclosure Form, formerly known as the UNLV Invention Disclosure Form, is designed for this purpose.) Submission of this disclosure is required by all federal funding agencies; the university faces strict reporting requirements regarding patentable ideas discovered through sponsored research. As an official document, the disclosure form protects the interests of the researcher and the university by establishing a legal record of the date of conception of the invention. Thus, please contact the UNLV Office of Technology Transfer if you have any questions about completing this form.

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