Research, the process of creating knowledge from investment, is at the heart of UWM‘s mission. Innovation, the commercialization of the knowledge, complements research at UWM. By fostering innovation, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee provides a complementary mix of expertise in research management and venture capital investing to support research and innovation at UWM.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Foundation (UWMRF) supports research and innovation, corporate partnerships, and intellectual property development. The UWMRF is the first stop for both UWM faculty and industry when considering a university/industry collaboration. UWMRF provides support with:
- Consultation on partnership benefits between UWM and industry
- Explore intellectual property opportunities
- Seek ways to commercialize research
The UWMRF also promotes corporate partnerships and startup companies helping commercialize ideas as they reach later stages of maturity. Underlying all of these activities is the management of intellectual property, including assessing ideas and protecting intellectual property through patents, copyrights, and licensing activities.
Panther Partnering
As the designated technology transfer office for UW-Milwaukee, the UWM Research Foundation (UWMRF) is offering a new program known as Panther Partnering that includes several options for Intellectual Property (IP) licensing tied to sponsored research conducted with industry partners. Our goal is to make partnering transparent, fair, and with minimal negotiation, in order to focus on research, innovation, and bringing new products to market.
Three licensing options are described below:
As the designated technology transfer office for UW-Milwaukee, the UWM Research Foundation (UWMRF) is offering several options for intellectual property (IP) licensing tied to sponsored research conducted with industry partners. Our goal is to make partnering transparent, fair, and with minimal negotiation, to focus on research, innovation, and bringing new products to market.
| TYPE | License Option
(in a limited field of use) |
License Fee
(paid upfront at signing) |
#Patent Royalty Rate
(only when cumulative sales reach $20mm) |
#Copyright / Software Royalty Rate
(Only when cumulative sales reach $20mm) |
Sublicensing Rights |
| The Prowl | Non-Exclusive | $10,000 | 0.5% | 1.5% | None |
| The Pounce | Exclusive | $20,000 | 1.5% | 4.5% | Available with additional fees |
| The Black & Gold | *Standard License Negotiation | Determined by market comps | Determined by market comps | Determined by market comps | Dependent on type of license |
* Terms are negotiated at project completion and upon creation of the intellectual property.
# For Companies with difficulty in sales/royalty tracking, an annual royalty fee structure is available for discussion.
Other Details
-
- The company must pay the license fee at the start of the sponsored research project. If not, standard license negotiations will apply.
- A company with a non-exclusive license can upgrade to an exclusive license when the patent application is filed. The license will be signed upon the filing of the patent application or copyright creation.
- The company covers all costs related to patent or copyright protection.
- Panther Partnering does not include industry master agreements or technologies in the pharmaceutical or medical devices arena which may require regulatory approval.
- UWMRF will own the IP unless there is joint inventorship with an industry sponsor employee.
- This offer is not available for projects funded by federal, non-profit, or other non-commercial sponsors or
consortia agreements.
For more information on corporate partnering please refer to the UWM Research Foundation page on Industry Collaborations.
UWMRF Support and Assistance
The UWMRF assists researchers and collaborators with navigating complex legal and administrative requirements associated with technology commercialization and protection. Services related to common technology and intellectual property generated through university/campus partnerships appear include:
Inventions
A new and useful innovation, or a significant improvement to an existing invention, that is fully formed in the mind of the inventor or, better yet, is reduced to practice as an operational model or prototype. Inventions are typically protected by means of a patent.
Computer Software
A sequence of instructions to be executed by a computer. Computer software can be protected under copyright as a work of authorship and, in certain cases, under patent law as an invention. The choice is best made with advice from a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property law. The UWMRF has access to attorneys who can help protect software disclosed to UWM by its faculty, staff, or students.
Works of Authorship
An original and creative expression of the human mind that has been captured in a fixed and tangible form. This category includes literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, and can be eligible for copyright protection.
Contact:
To initiate a partnership between UWM and industry or for technology transfer activities:
Jessica Silvaggi, Vice President, UWMRF
For administrative support for contracts:
or-osp-contracts@uwm.edu