Patent Cost Relief Fund for Junior Faculty

This call for proposals is closed.

Proposal timeline for the 2021-2022 academic year:

  • Proposals are due on or before October 30, 2021
  • Awards announced in November 2021

Fund information:

Rice University’s Office of Technology Transfer is pleased to offer patent cost relief to startup companies founded by junior faculty who are new to entrepreneurship.

All costs related to the filing, prosecution and maintenance of the first US patent licensed by the applicant’s startup company will be borne by Rice.

Eligibility:

  • Applicant must be a full-time junior faculty member, who is new to entrepreneurship and is applying for patent cost relief on behalf of a startup company that the applicant has founded, or will found, during the current academic year.
  • The startup company on whose behalf the patent cost relief is being sought must be in good standing with Rice University.
  • A patent application or completed technology disclosure form must be on file with Rice’s Office of Technology Transfer for the patent application whose costs are to be supported by this fund.
  • Rice University may at any time, and at its sole discretion, discontinue providing patent cost relief under this program if (a) the startup company breaches any of its contractual obligations to Rice University; (b) a startup company is not founded by the applicant during the current academic year; or (c) the applicant’s startup company does not license the subject patent or patent application from Rice University.

Review process:

Applications will be reviewed by the Office of Technology Transfer to be sure that eligibility requirements are met. All eligible applicants will be awarded patent cost relief as described herein.

How to apply:

Proposals must be submitted using this webform by October 30, 2021 at 11:59pm.

Proposals must include the following in a single PDF document:

  1. A curriculum vitae (CV) for each applicant of no more than three pages per CV.
  2. A description of the start-up company, of no more than three pages, which includes: the date (or proposed date) of the company’s incorporation; the company’s founders and leadership team (to the extent known); the research to be commercialized; the potential market need to be addressed, as well as any products or services to be provided by the company.
  3. A copy of the patent application or technology disclosure on file with Rice University’s Office of Technology Transfer whose US filing costs would be assumed by this fund.

Contact:

The Office of Research’s Patent Cost Relief Fund is facilitated by Rice’s Office of Technology Transfer. Contact techtran@rice.edu with questions about the fund and/or the application process.