Making an innovation disclosure is the first step for King’s researchers to have their research assessed for intellectual property protection by the IP & Licensing Team. Through the process, the team will do a thorough search for patents and IP claims for similar innovations, and provide guidance on the best protection for your ideas for future development.

It is very important to take this step before sharing your research:

• In a poster presentation, conference paper or journal article
• Meetings with externals
• If you think there is a commercial angle to your work. Once your research has been shared publicly, it is very difficult to apply to patent or protect your intellectual property.

The innovation disclosure form (internal link) is a description of your innovation or discovery that is sent to King’s IP & Licensing Team. It includes as much information as possible on your innovation, including all internal and external collaborating sources of support.

This information will be treated confidentially while your IP & Licensing Manager begins to assess the intellectual property, the rationale for protection and if your discovery has commercial or translational impact.

They will also provide advice on marketing and commercialisation strategy. A non-confidential description of your innovation is often created to help with marketing the technology. Once potential partners have been identified, and confidentiality agreements have been signed, more detailed information can be shared.

For help with making an innovation disclosure, see the FAQs below or email innovation@kcl.ac.uk.

Submitting your innovation disclosure to the IP&Licensing Team is the beginning of the ‘tech transfer’ process, which is the transfer of knowledge, skills, data, procedures or experience from creators, like academic entrepreneurs, to the public.

At King’s, our tech transfer process follows these steps:

1. When we receive your innovation disclosure, we assess your discovery or invention.

2. We consider:

• Is it innovative or patentable?
• Does it have commercial potential?
• Is there a market need or demand?

3. If your discovery fulfils all these criteria, we devise an IP protection strategy.

4. We then start to market your innovation to potential investors or licensees.

• Some innovators may wish to raise venture capital investment to spin out the technology.
• Others may prefer to secure a licence or commercial deal with an existing company.

In all cases, your IP & Licensing Manager will offer advice and support to choose the best route to achieve impact from your research and technology.

Intellectual property is something that you create using your mind, for example, a story, an invention, an artistic work or a symbol. Copyright, patents, designs and trademarks are all types of intellectual property protection. You get some types of protection automatically, others you must apply for. 

You are encouraged to submit an innovation disclosure form for all inventions and discoveries that you feel may solve a significant problem or have significant value. If you are in doubt, contact your assigned IP & Licensing Manager to discuss any emerging ideas. 

You can download an innovation disclosure form with simple instructions from King’s Intranet (internal link). The form is assigned to an IP & Licensing Manager with responsibility for your particular area. For a list of our IP & Licensing Managers and their area, please see IP & Licensing Team.  

When you disclose your discovery or innovation to the IP & Licensing Team, it starts a process that could lead to the commercialisation of your technology. This may involve beginning the legal protection process and working to identify outside development partners.

Almost all research councils and charities, including government funding agencies, require appropriate IP protection and a commercialisation. King’s also has to report on these obligations to these funders. Similar requirements may exist for other sponsored projects, e.g. industry sponsored research.

The IP & Licensing Managers assess each innovation disclosure from a number of angles for:

• Patentability
• Commercial potential of disclosed innovation (products or services)
• Relationship to related intellectual property
• Size and growth potential of the relevant market
• Amount of time and money required for further development
• Pre-existing rights associated with the disclosed innovation
• Potential competition from other products/technologies.

This assessment may also include consideration of whether the intellectual property can be the basis for a new spin out.

Yes, if your new tools would benefit other researchers and you’re interested in providing them to those researchers, and other third parties, please check with the IP & L Manager with responsibility for your area. 

Typically, research tools are materials, such as antibodies, vectors, plasmids, cell lines, animal models, and other materials used as ‘tools’ in the research process. Most research tools do not need to be protected by patents to be licensed to commercial third parties or generate revenue for your laboratory.  

If you have research tools that you believe to be commercially valuable, the IP & Licensing Team will work with you to develop the appropriate protection, licensing and distribution strategy. 

You must contact the Research Grants and Contracts Office if you want to provide your research tools to other parties, or if you are asked to share your research tools outside the university, for research use only.