For Researchers

For when your research becomes something bigger.

A working reference for NUS faculty, PhDs, postdocs, and research staff exploring how their work becomes patents, licensed technology, ventures, or industry collaborations. Tech Transfer is not a barrier — it's the office that handles the paperwork so you can keep doing the work.

What brings you here?

Get to the right answer fast.

Pick the question that matches what you actually need right now. Each card jumps you to the relevant block on this page or routes you out.

01

I think I have an invention. What do I do?

Disclosure pathway →

02

How do patents and IP ownership actually work at NUS?

About patents & IP →

03

I need an MTA or NDA for an external collaborator.

Agreements →

04

I need funding to develop my research toward a product.

Funding programmes ↗

05

I want to spin out a company based on my research.

From research to venture →

06

I just want to talk to someone in TTI.

Find your TTO →

Disclosure pathway

From idea to filed patent in seven steps.

A visual map of what TTI does after you submit a disclosure form. Realistic timelines, named ownership at each step, and what's expected from you (the researcher) versus what TTI handles. Submit a disclosure →

Step What happens Typical time Owner
01

Submit disclosure form

You describe the invention, who contributed, prior art you're aware of, and any external commitments.

 —

Inventor / PI
02

Initial review & intake

TTO assigned to your domain reviews for completeness, IP clarity, NUS pre-existing obligations.

 —

Domain TTO
03

Patentability & commercial assessment

External patent counsel runs prior-art search; TTO assesses commercial potential. Outcome shared with you.

 —

TTI + counsel

External patent attorney
04

Filing decision

NUS decides whether to file, in which jurisdictions. You're consulted; if NUS chooses not to file, IP rights may be released.

 —

Filing committee
05

Provisional patent filing

External counsel drafts and files the provisional. You review claims. NUS pays filing costs.

 6–12 weeks

TTI + counsel

External patent attorney
06

Marketing & licensing

TTI lists the technology in licensable catalogue, runs outreach to matching companies, negotiates licensing/sponsored research agreements.

 —

Licensing officer
07

Revenue & royalty distribution

Revenue shared per NUS IP policy: typically 50% to inventors, 50% to NUS/faculty/department, per current policy.

 Per agreement

NUS Finance + TTI

IP revenue desk

[CONFIRM step ownership and timelines with TTO team — figures and stages are illustrative]

About patents & IP

Plain-language guide to patents, copyrights, and ownership at NUS.

The reference material researchers actually need — pulled out of the accordion and into something readable. Pick a topic on the left.

What counts as an invention

An invention is a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter — or a new and useful improvement of any of these. At NUS, software, methods, biological materials, and engineered designs all qualify if they meet the legal tests of novelty, non-obviousness, and utility.

The shortest practical heuristic: if you're about to publish or present something that you also think a company might want to commercially license, that's a strong signal you should file a disclosure first.

Invention is a legal threshold, not a quality judgment. A disclosure is just a record. TTI decides whether to file.

Quick rule of thumb

If you're going to publish, present at a conference, post a preprint, or share a draft externally — get a disclosure in before. Public disclosure can affect patentability in many jurisdictions, especially Europe.

Agreements

MTAs and NDAs — the two agreements researchers ask for most.

Both have standard NUS templates. Both can be initiated through TTI. Below: when to use which, who signs, and how long it typically takes. For anything beyond these two, email your domain TTO directly.

Material Transfer Agreement

For sending or receiving research materials

Use an MTA when you're shipping or receiving physical research materials — biological samples, compounds, cell lines, tissue, or proprietary materials — to or from another institution or company.

When
Any external transfer of physical research materials
Signatory
NUS authorised signatory (not the PI directly)
Timeline
2–4 weeks for standard template; longer for negotiated terms
Cost
No fee for standard NUS-template MTAs
Start an MTA → Read template

Non-Disclosure Agreement

For confidential conversations with external parties

Use an NDA before sharing unpublished research, technical details, or pre-disclosure invention specifics with an external party.

When
Before sharing confidential research with anyone outside NUS
Signatory
NUS authorised signatory (not the PI directly)
Timeline
1–2 weeks for one-way NDA; 2–4 weeks for mutual
Cost
No fee for standard NUS-template NDAs
Start an NDA → Read template

Need something else — a sponsored research agreement, a licensing deal, a consulting contract? Email your domain TTO directly.

From research to venture

If you want to commercialise as a company.

Some NUS technologies become licenses to existing companies. Others become spinouts — new ventures founded on the underlying IP. If you're considering the spinout path, two routes fit most situations.

MSc in Venture Creation

A graduate degree designed around building a company on top of your research. One year, structured cohort, hands-on venture work alongside business fundamentals. Suits researchers who want a guided path with peers.

Learn about the MSc →

Direct spinout

If you have IP, a co-founder, and a clear commercial thesis, TTI structures a spinout licensing deal directly. NUS retains an equity stake; you and your co-founders run the company. Connects to BLOCK71 infrastructure and translational funding.

Talk to BLOCK71 →

Industry collaboration

Working with industry partners on your research.

Research that's funded by, scoped with, or done alongside an industry partner. Three formats fit most arrangements — TTI handles the contracting in each.

Sponsored research

Industry funds a defined research project in your lab. NUS retains IP with the sponsor receiving a first-look or licensing option.

See terms →

Joint development

Both parties contribute IP, talent, and resources. IP outcomes are jointly owned per a project-specific agreement.

See terms →

Embedded researchers

Industry-paid PhDs, postdocs, or research engineers placed within your group on co-supervised projects.

See terms →

Looking from the industry side instead? See For Industry → →

Researcher stories

NUS researchers who've crossed the line.

Three researchers who took an invention through Tech Transfer to license, spinout, or industry deployment.

All researcher stories →
Researcher in lab — battery diagnostics

Spinout · NUS Engineering

From battery diagnostics paper to a $4M seed round.

Aravind's diagnostics IP became the foundation of his spinout, structured through TTI. Eleven months from disclosure to seed.

Read story →
NUS Medicine lab context

Licensing · NUS Medicine

Twelve years of cancer detection research, licensed in three.

Faculty spinout from NUS Medicine. The technology is now serving three continents.

Read story →
Researcher with industry partner

Sponsored research · NUS Materials

A multi-year industry partnership that started with one MTA.

How a routine MTA led to a five-year sponsored research relationship and three patent filings.

Read story →

Common questions about IP

IP & policies.

The questions researchers ask most often about NUS IP policy, ownership rules, and revenue sharing. If yours isn't here, your TTO can answer directly.

Who owns the IP I create as an NUS employee or student?

By default, NUS holds title to inventions made by faculty, staff, and students using NUS resources. Specific allocation is governed by the NUS IP policy, with revenue-sharing splits between inventors, the department, and the university.

What if my research was funded by a government grant or industry sponsor?

Funder terms can override default NUS policy. Many government grants (e.g. NRF, A*STAR programmes) have specific IP provisions. Industry-sponsored research typically carries first-refusal or licensing options. TTI tracks all sponsor commitments per project.

Can I retain ownership of my invention?

In some cases, yes. If NUS chooses not to file or pursue commercialisation, IP rights may be released back to the inventor on request. The release process is handled through TTI.

How is licensing revenue shared?

Per current NUS policy, revenue is typically split among inventors, the department, the faculty, and the central university. Specific percentages depend on the agreement type and current policy version. TTI publishes the formula.

What happens if I leave NUS while my IP is being licensed?

IP ownership stays with NUS. Inventor revenue shares typically continue to be paid to the named inventors regardless of whether they remain at NUS, per the policy in force at the time of disclosure.

Can I use my own invention after I leave NUS?

Depends on what was licensed and to whom. If exclusively licensed to a third party, your use may be restricted. If not licensed, NUS often grants former inventors the right to continue using the IP non-commercially. Check with TTI before assuming either way.

Talk to Tech Transfer.

Reach out directly. We'll route your inquiry to the right person — disclosure, agreements, licensing, or funding — based on your research domain.

[Contact name / TTI office]

Technology Transfer Office

DisclosureAgreementsLicensingFunding
Email Book a call