Why We Do It
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Office of Technology Development is charged with facilitating the process of connecting the fruits of University research to the companies best equipped to bring them to the public, and in doing so, to tap into new sources of income to encourage innovators and help support additional research. In 1980, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 96-517, the Bayh-Dole Act, which provides that rights to inventions resulting from government-sponsored research at universities would be assigned to the universities. This Act paved the way for research universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill to leverage its intellectual property for the benefit of both the university and the greater community. Technology transfer is the method by which this is accomplished, and OTD is the mechanism by which this method is applied at UNC-Chapel Hill.The intangible benefits of technology transfer are as important as the financial payback to the University and its researchers. Like the roots bring nourishment to the whole tree, the activities of the Office of Technology Development spread the benefits of University research to Chapel Hill, the Research Triangle, the State of North Carolina and its industries, and, ultimately, the global community.
UNC-Chapel Hill Global Access Principles
It is part of the mission statement of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to "address, as appropriate, regional, national and international needs."
In accordance, the University holds public access and societal benefit to be the primary goals of technology transfer and recognizes that the patenting, licensing, and publication of its health-related innovations present opportunities to increase their global accessibility and improve the condition of human life.
We therefore support:
- research and development for neglected problems for which traditional commercial incentives may be insufficient to meet social needs
- open-access publication of university research
- commercial partners who share a clear commitment to human welfare
- patent applications only if and where appropriate
- license language that ultimately results in greater access to technologies, especially in developing countries and among disadvantaged populations