Ownership of Data and Intellectual Property
Research Materials and Data
All data and records pertaining to the research activities are the property of the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Research materials such as lab notebooks and research files shall remain the property of the faculty member(s) responsible for directing the project. The same applies to other items such as photographs, microscopic slides, specimens, models, and computer programs that might have been developed as a part of the graduate activities.
Intellectual Property
University of Nebraska Board of Regents (BOR) policy requires that, as employees of the University all faculty, staff, and some students, disclose and assign every invention or discovery resulting from the performance of duties within the scope of University employment, or from the use of University resources, to the University. The University has three policies that govern intellectual property.
BOR Bylaw 3.10 establishes University ownership of inventions. When the Board of Regents established policy 3.10, the intent was to encourage the commercialization of inventions and discoveries arising from research activities of the University, and when appropriate, the pursuit of patents or other intellectual property protection.
BOR Policy 4.4.1 establishes the copyright policies for the various copyright works and development scenarios that can occur on campus.
BOR Policy 4.4.2, the patent and technology transfer policy, governs invention disclosure, intellectual property protection, and licensing. This policy outlines the steps that the University can take to protect its Intellectual Property and how the innovator can also benefit.