Who must disclose and what must be disclosed?

University of Missouri policies require that any discovery made or invention developed by UMSL faculty and staff, along with students who can be defined as an "employee" of the University for the inventive work, be disclosed to the University. (Invention Disclosure Forms are used to report inventions as called for in the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri, Section 100.020.) At UMSL, the IP Management & Commercialization (OIPMC) office is responsible for determining the disposition of the intellectual property (IP) rights and for any required reporting of the invention, whether to the federal government or other external sponsors.

How do I disclose my invention, discovery, software, mobile app or creative work?

To disclose a research discovery or invention, download and complete the Invention Disclosure Form (UM16C). Please make sure to read the instructions on the last page of the disclosure form.

Creative and digital works can be disclosed using the Copyright Disclosure Form (Non-Software). Whether you've developed a play script, new online curriculum, training videos, or other materials, we can help you protect and commercialize them. We can also work with you to license digital image collections and much more. For information on what is copyrightable. please see Circular 1 at Copyright.gov.

Computer software and mobile apps may be commercially viable inventions protectable via patents and/or copyrights and could be subject to IP rights set forth in the sponsorship agreement; therefore, they also must be disclosed to the University. Invention disclosures regarding software or mobile apps should be submitted to the OIPMC using the Software Disclosure Form or Mobile App Disclosure Form.

Upon completion, submit the disclosure form with original signatures to Tamara Wilgers, 346 Woods Hall (314-516-6884). Once the form is received, UMSL's technology transfer staff will conduct an analysis to determine the invention's patentability, marketability and potential commercialization pathways.