Intellectual Property Audit

The University seeks a skilled and experienced consultant to deliver an IP audit, which should include, but not be limited to, the following elements:
1. Policy and Documentation Review
- Review YSJ’s existing Intellectual Property Policy and all associated guidance, templates and documentation.
- Recommend updates to ensure alignment with sector best practice and YSJ’s strategic ambitions.
- Produce an updated IP Policy, together with supporting documentation where appropriate.
2. IP Process and Decision Framework
- Develop a clear, practical IP decision tree and process to support staff in identifying, disclosing and progressing IP.
- The process should be understandable to non specialists and suitable for an institution with limited internal IP resource.
- The framework should support progression from identification through protection and onward commercialisation where appropriate.
3. IP Awareness and Senior Leadership Engagement
Deliver a concise 20 minute presentation to senior managers at YSJ, in person, on:
- The importance of intellectual property in a university context
- The purpose and value of the IP audit
- The risks of unmanaged or unprotected IP
This session should support institutional understanding and senior ownership of IP activity.
4. Academic and Research Staff Survey
- Design and support the dissemination of a survey to academic and research staff across the University to:
- Raise awareness of IP
- Identify staff who may hold existing or emerging IP
- Capture information on IP that may or may not already be protected
Support YSJ in interpreting survey outputs and identifying candidates for follow up.
5. Face to Face Academic Interviews
- Conduct a number of face to face interviews with academics identified through the survey or via leadership engagement as potentially holding IP.
Interviews should explore:
- The nature of potential IP
- Current status (protected/unprotected)
- Commercial relevance or translational potential
Interviews will...