Online Invention Disclosure System User Guide 
WHEN do I disclose?
Any time you develop something you think is truly remarkable or innovative in your research, you should disclose it to the university’s Technology Transfer Office. Don’t worry about whether or not you have an “Invention.” We are here to help you figure that out. The business of a university is the gathering and dissemination of knowledge. Making an invention and putting it to use in the service of the public is another way of accomplishing this objective.
Accordingly, Marshall University encourages the inventive process; and within the limits of financial practicality, can often provide advice and assistance in bringing inventions to the point of public use.
Please keep the following in mind:
Disclose first. Publish later. Disclosing your invention by no means proscribes publication; on the other hand, premature publication can have disastrous consequences, both legal and tactical, upon an effort to commercialize an invention.
Disclose as soon as the invention is clearly conceptualized, and no later. It is not necessary to wait until the invention is reduced to practice, nor is it wise to do so.
Leave procedural questions to the specialists. Federal funding does not usually impede commercialization. What constitutes a patentable invention is sometimes a complex legal question and will be determined in consultation with the university’s patent counsel.
HOW do I disclose?
Our convenient Online Invention Disclosure system allows you to save as you go. When you are finished, the information will be automatically submitted. (Note: You will need a user account to log on the system and submit your disclosure. Please contact the Technology Transfer Office to request an account.)
Download our Online Invention Disclosure System User Guide for step-by-step instructions. Contact us here if you have questions or otherwise need assistance.