UNIVERSITY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT

The University Intellectual Property Agreement (IPA) is required to be completed and signed by individuals first appointed or transferred to the following classification categories:

• Executive, administrator, academic administrator, and academic throughout the University;
• Faculty, staff exempt, staff nonexempt, and technical service in academic or academic service units throughout the University;
• For any existing employee in the above classification categories who has not signed an IPA Form;
• Graduate assistants/fellows/trainees at the time of their first appointment; and
• Undergraduate/graduate students, postdoctoral trainees/research associates, wage payroll employees, visiting scholars/scientists/students, emeritus/retired faculty and others who may be in a position to make, conceive or reduce to practice inventions or otherwise develop technology.

Exhibit and Instructions:

This form has fill-and-print form fields and digital ID (signature) fields enabled. The PDF version has instructions provided for the type and/or formatting of information to be included within the fill-and-print form fields. Hovering the computer mouse over any form field within the PDF will display these instructions.

For step-by-step instructions on completing the IPA form, click on the links below:

Form Requirements:

No form may be used that substitutes for an approved official University form without prior review and approval by the steward of the form/central office, as facilitated by the Office of Systems and Procedures (designated representative of the Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance). Policy FN17 Required Use of Approved University Forms Appearing in the General University Reference Utility requires that all form templates must be vetted and approved prior to being published on the GURU website and all such documents having gone through said established approval process must be password protected.

Clicking the form download icon on any form instruction page on GURU will open a web-based version of the form. While it appears to have fill-and-print fields available, not all functionality may be available for use (i.e. digital ID fields). It will be necessary to convert these web-based documents to PDF documents (see Procedure FN2017 Use of Forms Appearing on the GURU Website for complete details).

Applying Digital IDs on PDF documents (general instructions):

This form has the Digital ID (applying an electronic signature to the document) process enabled. Complete all fill-and-print form fields before completing the signature process:

NOTE: Once a digital ID has been applied to a document, it is considered an "approved" document and it is not possible to make any revisions to the form. DO NOT apply any digital IDs until the document has been completed and is ready to be approved.

1. Download the University Intellectual Property Agreement form by clicking the download icon (downward facing arrow) located in the upper right-hand corner of the web page.
2. Complete all fill-and-print fields
3. Once the form is complete, click in the signature form field and either:
   • select your digital ID and click continue, or
   • create your digital ID, select your digital ID, and click continue
4. Review the information in the appearance box and click sign
5. You will be required to save a copy of the document (the digital signature is not applied until the form is saved)
   • The file name will contain the name "university-intellectual-property-agreement-form" in the file name field, add a dash and [last name-first name (no spaces (i.e.,-smith-joseph) to the end of the file name (i.e., university-property-agreement-form-smith-joseph)
   • choose a location to save the file where you will be able to locate it again
   • click Save
6. Close the form version appearing on your screen
7. Open the version saved in the previous step
8. Verify that the digital ID appears on the document
9. Close the document

If you encounter any difficulties, contact the GURU support staff by submitting a GURU Technical Support Request Form

Number of Copies and Ultimate Distribution:

Where to Send Completed Forms:

Upload a signed PDF of the completed IPA per instructions provided by Penn State Human Resources or the Office of Technology Management. Signed hard copies may be mailed to the Office of Technology Management, 311 Barron Innovation Hub, 123 S. Burrowes Street, State College, PA 16801.

Contact Information:

For questions or additional details, contact the Office of Technology Management at otminfo@psu.edu or by calling 814-865-6277.

Cross References:

• Policy AD35 University Archives and Records Management
• Policy FN17 Required Use of Approved University Forms Appearing in the General University Reference Utility
• Policy IP01 Ownership and Management of Intellectual Property
• Policy IP06 Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurial Activity (Faculty Research)
• Procedure FN2017 Use of Forms Appearing on the GURU Website

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