OTTIN-REACH on campus innovation programs

The Office of Technology Transfer is charged with custody and management of Morgan intellectual property. The office works with students, faculty and staff to identify and disclose MSU inventions and work to identify commercialization opportunities and secure funding to move Morgan innovations along the commercialization pathway.

The Office of Technology Transfer spearheads several in-reach programs throughout the university to promote a culture of innovation. These programs create various touch points campuswide with engagement from different schools, colleges, offices and University departments. The Innovation of the Year (IoY) award event hosted annually by OTT recognizes and rewards innovative contributions of Morgan faculty, students, and staff Award categories include Intellectual Property Innovation awards in the area of Life Science, Physical Science and Information Science, in addition to Community Innovator Awards in the categories of Staff Innovator of the Year, Instructional Innovator of the Year, and Student Innovator of the Year. The Innovation of the Year awards also recognize inventors that were issued U.S. patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Since the inaugural IoY ceremony in 2018, OTT has awarded over 40 Innovator of the Year awards, with a diverse group of winners representing the entire University. In addition to the Intellectual Property and Community Innovation awards, OTT has also given special awards including the President’s Award for Innovation, and Innovation Leader awards to Morgan innovators that have led in their respective fields These innovators have contributed towards multiple intellectual property disclosures, student engagement, and issued patents and other activities that lead to commercialization OTT will continue to interface with the Morgan community to ensure the spirit of innovation continues to permeate through campus in varying fields and disciplines.

To ensure the Morgan community is aware of the innovation taking place on campus, OTT also publishes the Innovations newsletter. The newsletter, released on a bi-yearly basis, features Morgan innovators and highlights their innovative works and projects, often funded through grants provided by the Office of Technology Transfer In addition to the feature stories, innovators with technical and social science-related projects are included to denote their ongoing work. The newsletter also lists the active intellectual property disclosures submitted to the office, issued U.S. patents and innovationrelated activities taking place on campus