BGSU Express License Program
The Ohio IP Promise
BGSU is a public university dedicated to creating public good and strives to advance its impact through engagement by participating in private and public partnership that support research and creative activities and enhance the vitality of the BGSU community.
BGSU is proud to have joined together with other colleges and universities across Ohio to support the Ohio IP Promise. The IP Promise creates a climate where discovery can thrive through partnerships among universities, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry.
BGSU has many academic and administrative divisions, independent laboratories and numerous centers and institutes that provide services to business and industry partners. The BGSU Express License Program is designed to establish a clear, easy to understand process for licensing intellectual property developed at BGSU from industry sponsored research.
Sponsored Research Licensing Options
To identify the sponsored project option that fits your needs, please the Division of Research for assistance with business solutions and the development of industry collaborations.
For partners that don’t think there will be any IP generated during a project and want to start collaborating quickly.
- Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) includes non-exclusive, royalty free license to any IP.
- No upfront fees for or minimum annual royalties.
- Sponsor has the option to negotiate an exclusive license for any IP developed from the SRA.
- BGSU background IP requires a separate royalty bearing license.
- BGSU publishes the results of the projects.
For partners that want to have an exclusive royalty-bearing IP position for any IP developed from the Sponsored Research Agreement, this allows for the project to launch quickly but ensures an IP position once the project ends.
- Sponsor pre-pays additional 15% fee of the full cost of the project ($15,000 minimum)
- Sponsor agrees to pre-set royalty of 2% of net sales once cumulative sales reach $10M.
- Pre-set royalty rate and royalty trigger, but no annual minimums or technology commercialization fees.
- Sponsor manages, directs and pays for all the patenting activities (collaborates with BGSU on patent claims).
- BGSU background IP requires a separate royalty bearing license.
- Both sponsor and Principal Investigator must agree to choose Option 2.
- BGSU publishes the results of the projects.
This Option is not available for projects involving federal, non-profit, or other noncommercial sponsor funding or consortia agreements.
For companies that want any potential IP developed from the Sponsored Research Agreement assigned to them before the project even begins.
- Sponsor pre-pays additional technology assignment fee of a certain percentage of the total project cost, or a minimum base fee, whichever is greater, for the ownership of IP.
- Ownership of BGSU project IP is assigned to the sponsor.
- There can be no existing BGSU background IP associated to this project.
- The sponsor and the Principal Investigator must agree to choose Option 3.
- BGSU publishes the results of the projects.
Updated: 10/19/2026 08:08PM