Technology Transfer

Intellectual Property (IP) and Innovation is the University's authorized unit to manage, license, buy, and sell IP (patents, trademarks, copyrightable works, and trade secrets).

Our goal is to lead and help the Howard University community create, innovate, disseminate, and commercialize its intellectual assets.

Create: Identify, capture, and protect all intellectual property forms deemed appropriate and supportive of our mission and goal.

Innovate: Further develop ideas and inventions to increase the likelihood of commercial success and to make them more attractive to potential partners, investors, licensees, or spinning out.

Disseminate: Identify and pursue routes to market for Howard's intellectual property through partnerships, licensing, and facilitating entrepreneurial opportunities to spin-out Howard's intellectual property when preferred or desired.

Commercialization: Maximize the utilization of Howard's intellectual property through strategic portfolio management, strategic commercial licensing, and creating entrepreneurial opportunities.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Capture IP created by inventors and creatives within the University that is covered by the Howard University Intellectual Property Policy
  • Guide outside counsel and agents on the filing, prosecution, and maintenance of all intellectual property
  • Negotiate and approve all matters, agreements, grants, licenses, buying, selling, and commitments related to IP covered under the Howard University Intellectual Property Policy.