Intellectual Property Development
The mission of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is to acquire, preserve, enhance and communicate knowledge of the health sciences for the welfare of humanity and improvement of the environment. In pursuit of this mission, the University provides an environment which fosters the discovery of scientific advances which often lead to useful developments for society. The United States and most nations in the world now provide a variety of legal rights for these types of developments, including patent rights, copyrights and other property rights. The patent system was established by nations which recognize the importance of providing individuals and private industry with a commercial incentive to make advancements and to then disclose them for the growth of technology and for the benefit of society. As a nonprofit educational institution, the University is cognizant of its academic and research role and appreciates the important development role of private industry. The University is thus committed to licensing certain patent rights and other rights to private industry as a means for gaining financial support for its own educational and research endeavors; for monetarily rewarding inventors; and for facilitating the expedient conversion of new scientific knowledge to practical methods, compositions and devices which improve lives. The University has developed policies on how the University will treat patent rights and other legal rights. This University Policy Statement mandates cooperation. It deliberately commits faculty, students, administration and others to timely action in pursuit of common goals.