Research
Virtual Visit Request info Apply
MENUMENU
  • Office of the Vice President
    • Vision and Mission
    • Vice President for Research
    • RCA Awards
    • Staff Directory
  • Office of Sponsored Projects
  • Funding
    • Overview
    • TRIF
  • Safety & Compliance
    • Overview
    • Environmental Health and Safety
    • Animal Care
    • Human Research Protection Program
    • Research Integrity
    • Export Control
    • NAUS Culture of Safety
    • Policies
  • NAU Innovations
  • About
    • Services and Facilities
  • Research News
  • Events
  • NAU
  • Research
  • IP Student Guide

Other resources for students

  • boundaryless at NAU
  • NAU’s W. A. Franke College of Business Clubs and Organizations
  • Moonshot at NACET
  • NAU Intellectual Property Policy
  • ABOR Policy 6-908

Print the IP Student Guide

Daniel Riveria standing in front of a whiteboard.

What is IP? Who owns it? Why is it important?

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of human intellect that can be commercialized—that is, licensed for profit. There are federal, state, and international laws regulating the use of IP. Patents, copyrights, and trademarks are some of the ways that creators can legally protect their IP from unauthorized use and earn recognition (and sometimes royalties) for their IP.

Examples of IP

  • As a music major, you may compose a piece of music for the cello. The composition is considered IP.
  • As a computer science major, you may develop software that enables researchers to run genetic sequences. The software program is considered IP.
  • As a health sciences major, you may develop a new assay to test for jungle fever. The assay is considered IP.

Do I own IP I developed at NAU?

An Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) policy governs the ownership of IP developed at NAU (see section A3, “Student-Created Works” of ABOR Policy 6-908). Here are some examples of ownership scenarios based on this policy:

If you are an undergraduate student and you…

  • Created IP as a result of classwork and/or for a student dissertation or capstone project intended to fulfill degree requirements at the university, you can own that IP. Contact Will Aylor for more information.
  • Are employed by NAU as a student worker, you cannot own the IP you created as part of your employment at NAU.
  • Developed IP as part of a research project carried out under the direction of NAU faculty or staff, you cannot own the IP.
  • Developed IP as part of a sponsored research project that was funded by NAU directly or through funds administered by NAU, you cannot own the IP.

If you are a graduate student and you…
Are under an assistantship of any kind, you are considered an employee of NAU—so you cannot own the IP you created as part of your employment at NAU.

You can learn more about IP rights and responsibilities by visiting the NAU Innovations website. If you have questions about IP, ownership, rights and responsibilities, or any other IP questions, reach out to the NAU Innovations team at nauinnovations@nau.edu.

Office of the Vice President for Research
Location
Room - 4th floor, Building 20
Science Annex
525 S Beaver Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4087
Mailing Address
PO Box 4087
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4087
Contact Form
Email
ovpr@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-4340
Social Media
Visit us on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn