Working group Track E
Technology transfer and commercialization
The Technology transfer and commercialization working group defines vocabulary covering invention disclosures, patent prosecution status, licensing agreement terms, sponsored research and material transfer agreements, and startup spin-out and equity structures. It works with AUTM, the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) and WIPO to harmonise technology-transfer terminology so an invention's path from disclosure to licensed product or spin-out means the same thing across university technology transfer offices, industry partners, funders and national IP offices.
Charter and scope
What this working group covers
The Technology transfer and commercialization working group defines vocabulary covering invention disclosures, patent prosecution status, licensing agreement terms, sponsored research and material transfer agreements, and startup spin-out and equity structures. It works with AUTM, the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) and WIPO to harmonise technology-transfer terminology so an invention's path from disclosure to licensed product or spin-out means the same thing across university technology transfer offices, industry partners, funders and national IP offices.
- Invention disclosure form fields and intake workflow status vocabulary
- Patent prosecution status terms (provisional, non-provisional, PCT, national phase, granted, abandoned)
- Licensing agreement clause vocabulary: exclusive/non-exclusive, field-of-use, territory, sublicensing, royalty and milestone terms
- Material transfer agreement (MTA) and sponsored research agreement (SRA) terminology
- Startup spin-out, founder equity and option-pool vocabulary tied to licensed IP
- Technology readiness level (TRL) and commercialization-stage definitions
- Metrics vocabulary for reporting technology-transfer activity (disclosures received, licenses executed, startups formed, licensing income)
Composition
Current composition
Chair
Applications under review
Candidates are being assessed for the 2026 forming round. Two-year term, renewable once.
Submit your candidacy →Co-chair
Accepting candidates
Optional second chair, prioritised for regional or sector balance.
Submit your candidacy →Community seats
Accepting candidates for 12 seats
Seats are allocated against a published rubric covering domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers.
Apply for a community seat →Deliverables
Planned and delivered deliverables
- Controlled vocabulary for the invention disclosure-to-licensing lifecycle
- Recommended core data fields for invention disclosure forms
- Glossary of patent licensing agreement clause types
- Crosswalk between AUTM STATT survey categories and CASRAI terms
- Guidance on TRL and commercialization-stage tagging for research outputs
Recent activity
Working-group cadence and milestones
Illustrative working-group cadence for the 2026 forming round. Substantive deliverables and meeting minutes will be linked here as the group convenes.
2026-05-15 · Milestone
Working group forming — call for chair candidates
Open call for chair and co-chair of the Technology transfer and commercialization working group. Candidates are under review.
2026-04-22 · Release
Domain scope confirmed for v2026.2
Scope of the Technology transfer and commercialization domain confirmed against the v2026.2 dictionary release plan.
2026-03-10 · Added
Forming round announced
CASRAI announced the 2026 forming round for all 24 working groups, with seat allocations and review rubric published.
Open consultations
Currently in public comment
Currently none open. Subscribe via /get-involved/comment for future calls.
External bodies
Standards and organisations we work with
Going deeper on CASRAI
Related CASRAI guidance
Adjacent working groups
Related working groups
How to join
Apply to a seat on this working group
This working group is receiving candidates for the 2026 forming round. The application is short — name, institution, ORCID iD (optional), the seat you are applying for, and a paragraph on why this domain. Decisions are returned within four weeks of the close of the open-call window.
FAQ
Frequently asked
- How do you write an invention disclosure?
An invention disclosure typically records the inventors, a plain-language description of the technology, how it differs from existing solutions, any upcoming publication or public-disclosure deadlines, and known potential commercial applications. Most university technology transfer offices provide a standard invention disclosure form so this information is captured the same way for every submission. This working group maintains a recommended set of invention disclosure data fields so disclosures can be compared and reported consistently across institutions.
- What should be included in a licensing agreement?
A patent licensing agreement generally defines the licensed IP, the field of use and territory, whether the license is exclusive or non-exclusive, royalty and milestone payment terms, sublicensing rights, and the licensee's diligence obligations. These clause types are among the licensing vocabulary this working group standardizes, so agreements can be compared consistently across institutions and industry partners. AUTM and LESI resources inform how these terms are defined.
- What is a disclosure statement in research?
In a research and technology-transfer context, a disclosure statement is the formal record an inventor submits to their institution's technology transfer office describing a new invention before it is publicly disclosed or published, so the office can assess patentability and commercialization potential. It is the starting point for the invention disclosure and licensing vocabulary this working group defines.
- What does this working group do?
The Technology transfer and commercialization working group is the community body that drafts, reviews and ratifies dictionary entries for the Technology transfer and commercialization domain. It maintains scope, cross-walks to adjacent standards and the cadence of public review. Its remit is summarised on this page; the canonical terms it stewards live at /dictionary/domain/tech-transfer.
- Who can apply to join?
Working-group membership is open to qualified practitioners — researchers, research-office staff, librarians, publishers, repository managers, integrity officers, CRIS administrators, regulators and funders. Institutional membership is not required. The qualification test is competence and time, not affiliation. Apply via the working-group application form.
- What is the time commitment?
Cadence: Quarterly virtual working sessions, with two vocabulary release windows per year (March and September).. Time commitment averages four hours per quarter for an active member, more for a chair. Asynchronous review happens between meetings via email. Chairs are recognised on the editorial masthead and serve a two-year term, renewable once.
- How are seats allocated?
Each working group has 12 community seats plus a chair and (optionally) a co-chair. Seats are filled by an open call reviewed against a published rubric: domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers. Applications for the 2026 forming round are open and candidates are currently under review — see how to apply.
- Can my institution sponsor a seat?
Institutional sponsorship is welcome but is not a route to a guaranteed seat. Sponsors support meeting infrastructure, public-comment publication and contributor honoraria; they receive named acknowledgement on the working-group page and in release notes. Sponsorship enquiries go to [email protected]. Seat selection remains on merit.
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