1. Why is IP important to a Researcher at RIT?
Ryne P. Raffaelle
Professor, Physics & Microsystems Engineering Director of NanoPower Research Laboratories
Brian J. Landi
PhD Student, Microsystems Engineering

2. Overview Why? How? Research Duties Scientific Credibility
Student Benefits
Financial Rewards
How?
Approach
NPRL Examples

3. Research Duties
Research
Commercialize
Ideas IP
Devices

4. Scientific Credibility - Grants
Synergy between Grant Proposal Writing and IP – “Secure IP”
Chicken & Egg: Qualifications to get money but money is needed to do work
Industrial partnerships for commercialization – technology transfer

5. Student Benefits Education
Exposure of Technology in field – the business of science
Curriculum Vitae
Financial rewards

6. $ $ $ Financial Rewards Technology Transfer to industry
Licensing
Collaboration for future grants
Personal Income
$ $ $

7. Approach Awareness of Professional Field
Conferences, Seminars, local chapters
Literature
Collaborations
Identifying a Need…is there a Demand?
Innovate a Novel solution
Incremental Improvement?
Paradigm Shift?
Cost effective?
Existing IP?

8. NPRL Examples: a-Voltaics
Need: Microelectronic power supplies
Demand: Microsystems, Remote sensing, long-lived sustainable batteries (pacemaker)
Novelty: Nanomaterials afford utility-radiation tolerance and efficient luminescence

9. NPRL Examples: SWNTs Need: Solvent Dispersions and Separation
Demand: Analysis, chemical reactions, phase-pure material (metallic vs. semiconducting)
Novelty: Simple organic solvent – cost effective

10. NPRL Examples: QD-SWNTs
Need: Additives for Polymeric Solar Cells
Demand: Nanomaterials which can be dispersed in a conducting polymer to improve exciton dissociation and charge transport
Novelty: Wavelength selective, high electron affinity, extraordinary electrical conductivity

11. Conclusions
IP can facilitate a researcher’s ability to be awarded grant money
IP development is synergistic with other research duties
Successful IP will allow for a revenue stream for the university lab and the researcher