WVU Research Office
Chestnut Ridge Research
Building
•Office of Technology Transfer
•Department of Homeland
Securities
•WVU Business Incubator
•Economic Development
•Office of Sponsored Programs
886 Chestnut Ridge Road
Morgantown, WV
Office of Technology Transfer
at WVU
President
WVU Research Corp.
Director,
Technology Transfer
Associate Director
Licensing Associates
Student Interns
Business Incubator
Technology Transfer is…
“The process of moving an unexploited body
of knowledge from a source organization to
another organization where it will be reduced
to practice and exploited commercially.”
Innovation is…
“The process of taking an invention and
turning it into a product which can be
marketed to the public for profit.”
Invention is…
“A new process, object or improvement that
did not exist previously and that is the
product of a unique idea.”
Commercialization is…
“The process of introducing a new product or
production method into the market to be sold
to the public for profit.”
Intellectual Property is…
“Any unique idea or creation, including
inventions, symbols, names and images.”
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property can be divided into two
categories:
Industrial Property and Copyright
Intellectual Property

Industrial Property includes inventions,
trademarks and industrial designs.

Industrial Property can be patented.
Intellectual Property
Copyright includes artistic works such as
novels, films and photographs.
Advanced Technology
Applications

Lead Innovator: James E. Smith

Established in 2005 and incorporated in
West Virginia.

Performs research into Wind Turbine designs
Advanced Technology
Applications Has Developed…

Shape memory actuators for near surface
circulation control.

Pinned connection to facilitate circulation
control on a Vertical Axis Wind turbine.

Valve system for the control of air through
turbine blades.
Advanced Technology
Applications Has Developed…

Circulation Control Augmented Wind Turbine
(CC-VAWT)

Circulation and Boundary Layer Control
Augmented Vertical Axis Wind Turbine.

Control System for a CC-VAWT
The Bayh-Dole Act

In 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act was passed.

This allowed universities to retain titles to
patents generated from federally-sponsored
research.
The Bayh-Dole Act

Passing of the Bayh-Dole act led to an
increase in University-owned patents.

From 1980-2000, the number of Universityowned patents jumped from 200 to over
2500.
Famous University-Owned
Patents
Product
University
Citrical® calcium supplement
University of Texas, SW Medical
Center
Process for Taxol production
Florida State University
HelixTM concrete reinforcement
University of Michigan
Trusopt® drops glaucoma treatment
University of Florida
Cisplatin and Carboplatin
Michigan State University
Synthetic penicillin
MIT
Gatorade ®
University of Florida
TBI Innovations

Developed method to reduce the damaging
effects of SLOSH energy absorption by
reducing inelastic collisions in an organism.

Lead Innovator: David Smith
Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act

Effective since September 16th, 2011

Changes U.S. Patent system from a “First to
Invent” system to a “First to File” system.

Simplifies the patent application process.
Kendall/Hunt Publishing

Developed Laboratory materials for applied
calculus.

Lead Innovator: Edgar J. Fuller
Quantex Energy

Quantex Energy is a Canadian company
established in 2007.

They are a current Tenant from the WVU
Business Incubator
Quantex Energy
Has developed a
process for converting
coal into crude oil,
known as Coal to
Liquid (CTL).
Quantex Energy
Quantex’s coal-to-liquid
process is extremely
efficient at producing
synthetic crude oil (or
Syncrude).
Quantex Energy
Coal to Liquid uses fewer resources, is 10-30
times cleaner than other processes, and
takes minutes instead of hours to produce.
Quantex Energy
Their coal to liquid process yields ~85%
liquid (by weight) of the coal put in.
Quantex Energy
Quantex plans to begin wide-scale
production of Synthetic Crude Oil (and other
industrial materials) in 2014.
Quantex Energy
Quantex will eventually
open plants world-wide,
creating thousands of jobs in
the surrounding
communities.
Quantex Energy
Just one of their planned facilities could
produce hundreds of thousands of barrels of
Syncrude each day.
Quantex Energy
Quantex’s Coal to Liquid process could
eventually help lessen dependence on
foreign oil and help combat a global energy
shortage.
Quantex Energy
Has committed $1.8 billion to research and
building commercial operating units.
Quantex Energy
Has a lab on WVU’s campus with plans to
build their own building in next 4 months.
Quantex Energy
If trials are successful, Quantex can begin
licensing their Coal to Liquid process to other
countries.
Quantex Energy
After constructing just three factories,
Quantex would be looking at about $20K-
$30K per day in royalties alone.
New Era Industries

Developed a high-temperature resin spread
and infusion process to mass-manufacture
composites.

Lead Innovator: Harris W. Armstrong
Firefly Energy

Developed method of making a carbon foam
material from coal.

Lead Innovator: Alfred H. Stiller
Functions of WVU Office of Technology
Transfer (OTT)

Manage Intellectual
Property Portfolio

Commercialize WVU
Technologies

Develop New Business
Opportunities

Economic Development
Functions of WVU Office of Technology
Transfer (OTT)

OTT will complete all paperwork for the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO).

OTT will cover ALL expenses
Office of Technology
Transfer Staff

2 patent attorneys with expertise in medicine,
health sciences, chemistry, and biology

1 patent agent with expertise in engineering

1 patent attorney who runs the Business
Incubator
Functions of the WVU Office of
Technology Transfer (OTT)

OTT will compose Non-disclosure
agreements.

OTT will assist in connecting faculty with
potential investors, seed funds, and business
partners.
A Non-Disclosure
Agreement Is…
“A legal contract between two or more
parties that outlines confidential material
which the parties wish to share with one
another but must remain confidential to any
outside party.”
Commercialize WVU
Technologies
•
•
•
Assistance in marketing
Negotiate license agreement with
external commercialization partners
Provide access to legal assistance
Develop New Business
Opportunities
•
License WVU developed technologies
•
Develop collaborative R&D agreements
•
Create market entry
•
Incubate start-up companies
Incubation of Start-up
Companies
• WVU inventors may request to start a
company to further market their innovations.
• Can become tenants of the WVU
Business Incubator.
Incubation of Start-up
Companies
Start-up companies may compete for
external funding such as the Small
Business Innovation Research Program
(SBIR) or the Small Business Technology
Transfer Program (STTR).
Small Business Innovation
Research Program (SBIR) is…
“A federal program which allocates 2.5% of
federal research budgets in excess of $100
million, to be distributed to small businesses
in order to encourage economic growth.”
Small Business Technology
Transfer Program (STTR) is…
“A Federal program designed to expand
partnerships between small businesses and
nonprofit U.S. research institutions which, in
FY2010, awarded over $100 Million to
various small businesses.”
Oculus Development

Developed Standardized Sensor Pallet for
Cargo Aircraft.

Lead Innovator: James E. Smith
Choosy Kids

Founded by Linda Carson, a WVU Associate
Professor in the school of Physical
Education.

Is a graduate tenant of the WVU Business
Incubator.
Choosy Kids

C.h.o.o.s.y. (Choose Healthy Options Often
and Start Young).

Encourage physical nutrition and activity
among American children.
Choosy Kids

Relate to kids through music and identifiable
characters (Choosy).

Market healthy foods through their mascot,
Choosy.
Choosy Kids

“Choosy” mascot
developed through
focus-group testing.

Is featured on the boxart of healthy foods for
kids to see.
Contact OTT if…

You have any questions or concerns about
intellectual property (IP).

You have, (or think you have) made an
invention.
Contact OTT if…

You intend to publish a paper/abstract, or give a
presentation on material that may constitute an
invention.

You are named as an inventor on a patent filed by
a company or another University.
Contact OTT if…
You are asked to provide unpublished
information to a company with whom WVU
has not signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
Contact OTT if…
You are asked to provide a company with
proprietary materials from your laboratory
without a signed Material Transfer
Agreement.
Contact OTT if…

You are approached by a company who
wishes to license technology from you or
WVU.

You would like to start a company based
upon technology developed at WVU.
Mannette Steel Drums

Founded by Ellie Mannette

Ellie Mannette is also known as “The father
of the modern steel drum.”

Is a graduate tenant from Incubator
Mannette Steel drums

Partnered with WVU in the early 1990’s to
produce instruments for the band.

Mannette now produces instruments for
musicians world-wide, thanks to help from
WVU.
WVU Funding for Fiscal Year 2011
Federal: $99,669,040
State:
$36,435,893
WVU Funding for Fiscal Year 2011
Industry: $34,221,159
Private:
$3,548,013
Total WVU Funding in FY2011
$173,874,105
Total WVU Funding in FY2011
62% of the nearly $174 Million in WVU
Funding was spent on Research and
Development.
Total WVU Funding in FY2011
The total amount of funding dedicated to
research and development has seen an
increase of $32 Million since 2005.
Proposals in FY2011
The Office of Sponsored Programs received
732 new grant proposals in FY2011.
Proposals in FY2011
The Office of Sponsored programs approved
448 grant proposals in FY2011.
In 2010…
Current and graduate tenants with the West
Virginia University Business Incubator
employed 148 full-time employees, and 57
part-time employees.
In 2010…

Business Incubator Tenants paid $8,942,160
in wages for the year.

Tenants received $6 Million in revenue and
raised $3.1 Million in grant funds.
In 2010…
The total amount spent by the Office of
Technology Transfer on research and
development of licensed technologies was
$3,478,351.
SABIC Innovative Plastics

Developed Flame Retardent Polymer Blend
Compositions.

Lead Innovator: Sushant Agarwal
SustainU

Clothing company founded in 2009 by
Morgantown native Chris Yura.

Is a Graduate Tenant of the WVU Business
Incubator.
SustainU

Clothing is made from
100% recycled material.

Yura refers to this
material as “Fluff.”
SustainU

SustainU produces all material locally.

Using local resources cuts down on fuel
costs and emissions.
SustainU

Employs domestically, creating jobs within
the community.

SustainU employs over 400 people for
production.
SustainU

SustainU is able to produce 20,000 shirts
each month.

Chris Yura hopes to produce 80,000 shirts
per month by 2012.
SustainU

One pound of recycled yarn saves .5 gallons
of gasoline.

One ton of recycled cotton saves 1200
gallons of water.
SustainU
SustainU donates to non-profit groups
through clothing drives on college campuses.
SustainU

Has collected nearly 16.2 tons of clothing
through their program.

Has visited 90 schools in 35 states as of
August 16th, 2011.
SustainU

SustainU produces the
T-Shirts given to all
Adventure West Virginia
Students.

Shirts are light-weight
and durable.
SustainU
In August, Chris Yura was recognized as a
“Champion of Change” by President Obama.
Martek Biosciences

Developed Omega 3 Treatment for Brain
Injury.

Lead Innovator: Julian Bailes