What We Do

The TCO receives new technology disclosures (NTDs) from CUNY faculty, students and staff, and then evaluates these disclosures for their commercial potential. We typically begin by reviewing details of an invention with the inventor to learn about potential applications. The TCO, often in conjunction with the University IP Committee, then evaluates and develops a protection and marketing strategy. We consider the technical and market risks and decide whether to patent the invention or perhaps to rely on copyright protection.

Together with the inventors, we initiate contact with targeted companies that might be interested in licensing the right to use an invention and/or in sponsoring further research in an invention. The goal is to negotiate and secure a licensing agreement, bringing in cash royalties that are shared with the inventors and their departments and colleges, as well as with the university, according to a generous royalty sharing policy (per CUNY Intellectual Property Policy), as well as supporting and encouraging further sponsored research.

Although patentable inventions do constitute the majority of TCO's licensing activities, we also handle matters involving copyright (software), trademark licensing and tangible research material transfers. As such, the TCO is responsible crafting various agreements , from licensing agreements, to confidentiality agreements (CDA), material transfer agreements (MTA), sponsored research agreements (SRA), etc.

Who We Are

Jake Maslow, Esq.

Director [email ]

Elaine Y. Lu, Ph.D.

Technology Commercialization Associate [email ]

Nitin Virmalwar, MIP, S.M.

Technology Commercialization Associate [email ]

Wei Chen, Ph.D. (2009)

Technology Commercialization Business Assistant [email ]

Keith Whiteman

Office Manager [email ]