In January 2022, the Ontario government created a new agency called Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) to provide intellectual property (IP) knowledge, advice and services to Ontario innovators, researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs. IPON has released the Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework to strengthen focus on the generation and management of IP commercialization and is working with groups across the province to assist in implementation of the framework and improving commercialization outcomes. Each publicly-assisted university and college are to create and publicly post a commercialization policy on its website by April 29, 2022.
A key objective for Queen’s University is to disseminate knowledge, generated from intellectual inquiry, for public benefit. Queen’s has made it a priority to foster innovation by providing support services and programs to promote and enable innovation related activities.
The Report of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Intellectual Property, approved by the Board of Trustees on May 8/9, 1991, informs the treatment of IP at Queen’s. Since this time, elements of IP considerations have been included in several collective agreements (e.g., the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) Collective Agreement). The distributed nature of IP considerations has the potential to create ambiguity for University stakeholders, including members, staff and students. To provide clarity and to comply with the Provincial mandate, the Vice-Principal Research portfolio has set out to create an IP Commercialization Policy.
Under the direction of Dr. Jim Banting, Assistant Vice-Principal (Partnerships and Innovation), a working group has been established to inform and prepare an IP Commercialization Policy. Members include senior leadership from the Secretariat, Human Resources, Faculty Relations, and the Provost’s office, as well as Faculty Deans of Research, the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs and the Dunin-Deshpande ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Innovation Centre. This work will strengthen the institution’s ability to fulfill the roles and responsibilities required by IPON and support innovators at Queen’s.
Policy Under Review
The Intellectual Property Commercialization Policy was approved by the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Board of Trustees on May 13. 2022.
Intellectual Property Commercialization Policy and Procedures (PDK 279 KB)
Please COMMENT on policies under review and development at policies@queensu.ca. Please include the name of the policy you are commenting on in the SUBJECT LINE of your email.