Tech Transfer Forms

Invention Disclosure Form

The TTO's disclosure forms are confidential documents that provide a written, dated record of the creation of an invention or copyrighted work. Submit the appropriate form to the TTO soon after the innovation is conceived. Learn more about the commercialization process.

• Invention Disclosure Form
• Copyright Disclosure Form

Non-Disclosure Agreement

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement is a binding contract that governs the exchange of proprietary or confidential information.

An NDA is typically used when the University is considering entering into a business relationship with a third party and where there is a need to understand or evaluate each other's research data, some of which might be proprietary in nature.

Faculty, students, and staff are required to sign NDAs before disclosing potentially confidential information, or may be asked to sign them before receiving such information from third parties. The NDA must be fully executed by both parties before entering into further discussion on the technology.

• Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement
• One way Non-Disclosure Agreement

Material Transfer Agreement Forms

Scientific materials being transferred between Cleveland State University and another organization must be formally covered with a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). An MTA is an agreement that governs the transfer of tangible research materials between two organizations, when the recipient intends to use it for his or her own research purposes.

For the provider, an MTA provides several advantages including restricting the use of the material to non-commercial research, and reducing the provider's legal liability for the recipient's use of the material. In addition, the terms of the MTA can help the provider to gain access to the results of the research, not for information purposes and for commercial exploitation.

• Material Transfer Agreement

Sponsored Research Agreement

Sponsored research agreements (SRAs) govern funded research at Cleveland State University. The TTO negotiates SRAs when a company or government entity provides funding to the University for a specific project and the company expects some form of intellectual property rights from the research.

• Sponsored Research Agreement

License Agreement (Template)

A license agreement is the standard agreement format by which Cleveland State University and a potential licensee seek to reach mutually acceptable licensing terms regarding an invention. Strategies for transferring inventions from universities to industry are based upon non-exclusive or exclusive licensing. All license agreements must protect the mission of the University by ensuring that faculty inventors retain rights to continue research in the licensed field, publish freely, and disseminate tangible research properties related to the technology to other academic and nonprofit researchers. The University requires that all licensees agree to appropriate indemnity and insurance obligations as required by the State of Ohio.

• License Agreement (Template)