Three Canadian agencies are providing awards worth $13,535,000 to increase knowledge and technology transfer from Canadian universities and hospitals.
“(The) intellectual property management grants are intended to strengthen the ability of institutions to manage their intellectual property, to attract potential users and to promote the professional development of personnel involved in IP management,” said Maurizio Bevilacqua, secretary of state for Science, Research and Development.
“The ultimate goal is to contribute to the strengthening of Canada’s competitiveness in the global economy.”
The University of Calgary ($300,000), the University of Alberta ($300,000) and the University of Lethbridge ($78,000) all received grants.
The three granting agencies, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), jointly manage the program. The intellectual property to be managed or transferred must result from research under the jurisdiction of one of the agencies.
“We are pleased to see the strong interest of universities and hospitals in partnering and sharing costs with the federal government in the IPM activities,” said federal Health Minister Anne McLellan. “Their role is critical not only in generating new knowledge but also in transferring this knowledge to the private sector.”
The list of funded activities is broad and includes conducting initial technology assessments, protecting or marketing intellectual property and increasing researchers’ awareness of intellectual property issues and opportunities.
Competitions are held once every three years, and proposals are evaluated by a panel of experts in intellectual property management.
Selection criteria for the awards include the appropriateness of the institution’s strategy, the clarity of the specific objectives and the feasibility of the plan.
The list of successful applicants can be found online at www.nserc.ca/media_e.htm
