For Inventors

Links & Resources


Quick Links

Guide For Inventors:

  • Illinois Tech’s Office of Technology Management and Licensing (TML) can help you through the invention disclosure process, develop potential Intellectual Property (IP) strategy, protect and licensing University IP.

Guide For Inventors


Invention Disclosure Form:

  • The Invention Disclosure Form is used to formally document and submit an invention to Technology Management and Licensing at Illinois Tech. It initiates the evaluation process for determining patentability and commercial potential.

Illinois Tech Invention Disclosure Form


Illinois Tech Patent and Copyright Policy:

  • The Patent and Copyright Policy outlines the rights and responsibilities of inventors and the institution regarding ownership, management, and commercialization of inventions. This ensures compliance with university, national, and international regulations.

Illinois Tech Policies and Procedures: Patents and Copyright Policy

Enabling Your Invention

Identify Potential IP:

  • This tool, by the USPTO, helps users identify potential intellectual property (IP) within their innovations or business. It guides inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses through a series of questions to determine whether their creations are eligible for patents, trademarks, or other forms of IP protection.

USPTO Basic IP Identifier


Patent Basics:

  • This resource explains how inventors can ensure their inventions meet patent eligibility criteria, including the enablement requirement, which ensures that others can understand and use the invention based on the description.

USPTO Patent Basics


Prototype Support:

  • Illinois Tech has a fully loaded Idea Shop for all of your product development and prototyping experiments!

Illinois Tech Idea Shop