Strategic management of research results

As a doctoral student or researcher, you create different forms of knowledge assets that, if properly managed, can make a big difference to people and society. What do you know about your knowledge assets? Do you want to explore this in more detail, learn more about how to best manage them and get a better idea of how your knowledge assets could be refined and transformed into something useful? Then you should sign up for the UU Innovation credit-bearing course Strategic management of research results!

About the course in brief

Contents of the course: Three mandatory half-day seminars in the form of physical on-campus meetings at Uppsala University

Course is offered: Twice a year, in the spring and the autumn semester.

Who can participate: All researchers, from doctoral students to professors, at Uppsala University, University of Gävle and Dalarna University.

Credits: For doctoral students, the course is credit-bearing and corresponds to 3 ECTS credits in your doctoral studies.

Language: The course is given in English.

Number of places: Max. 30 participants.

After the course: You will have a better understanding of what knowledge assets you produce and be better equipped to make use of them. You will have basic knowledge of intellectual property rights and agreements, and why it can be important to take control of your knowledge assets.

Important dates for the autumn semester 2023: The three seminars will be held on 4 October (Blåsenhus), 11 October (Uppsala Biomedical Centre) and 18 October (Ångström).

Registration: Registration for the course starting in October is open. Registration deadline is 15 September.

Contact: Questions about the course? Please contact Nhils Forslund at UU Innovation

New perspectives on research and knowledge valorisation

You may have heard of “professor’s privilege” and know that you own the rights to the results of your research, even if you are a doctoral student. Then you probably also know that this gives you the opportunity to take your results further and contribute to their utilisation even outside the purely academic context.

But how do you go about this? What is the first step to take, and how do I even know if my research could be useful to others? And can or should I control how my results are used?

These are the questions we will work with during the course Strategic management of research results. During three seminars, we will discuss the basics of how knowledge assets created in research can be identified, controlled and packaged. The aim is to strengthen your foundation both for continued research and for your results to be utilised in practice.

Each seminar contains a practical element, where you can directly apply your newly acquired knowledge to gain new perspectives on your own research and how you could create benefits from the results in society.

Three content-rich half-days

Seminar 1: Identifying knowledge assets

Time and place: Wednesday, 4 October, 09:15–12:00, Blåsenhus

We will start by reviewing the central concepts of the course, such as “knowledge assets”, “valorisation” and “innovation”. “Professor’s privilege” will be explained, and the rules for secondary employment reviewed. We will introduce tools for identifying and categorising knowledge assets, and you will be given a chance to apply them in practice to your research project. Finally, we will discuss how important it is for you, as a researcher, to control your knowledge assets by highlighting the possibilities that open up as well as what can happen if you fail to take control.

Seminar 2: Controlling knowledge assets

Time and place: Wednesday, 11 October, 09:15–12:00, Uppsala Biomedical Centre

Now that the knowledge assets have been identified, the next step is to look at how they can be controlled. We will start with an overview of the most common forms of intellectual property protection (patent, trademark, copyright and design), after which you will be given the opportunity to delve into the forms of protection that are most relevant to your own field of research. We will go through ownership of research results and factors that affect ownership. Linked to this, we will conclude with an introduction to agreements that gives you the basics of what is important to keep in mind when ownership, among other things, is to be regulated through agreements.

Seminar 3: Packaging knowledge assets

Time and place: Wednesday, 18 October, 09:15–12:00, Ångström

Now you know what knowledge assets you have and how their use can be regulated. The next step is to evaluate which of these are worth developing further and, if so, how. We will describe different utilisation models and how value creation can be made financially sustainable. Finally, you will get an introduction to the support functions that are available to you, as a researcher, if you want to go further and utilise the results of your research.

To pass the course, you will need to:

Participate in all three seminars
Complete the three assignments given during the course

If you are a doctoral student or researcher

This course is specifically tailored for doctoral students and researchers. It is also designed to suit participants from all disciplines.

At UU Innovation, we have extensive experience in supporting researchers from all disciplinary domains with idea development, where strategic management of research results is a prerequisite.

Credit-bearing course

If you are a doctoral student, you earn credits for the course corresponding to 3 ECTS credits in your doctoral studies. Other participants who complete the course will receive a course certificate.

Why should I take the course?

The course is perfect for those who are curious about knowledge valorisation and innovation in relation to their own research, and want to learn more. The course will give you a basic understanding of the different types of knowledge assets generated in research, and how their use can be controlled and regulated through intellectual property protection. The method for identifying, controlling and prioritising knowledge assets from your research that you will learn offers a structure that is also useful in your everyday research life. In addition to strengthening your ability to innovate, the course content can also strengthen your research. Knowing the potential of your research and how it can be utilised will strengthen your applications and increase your chances of securing funding for your research.

In addition, you will meet doctoral and research colleagues outside your own field, which can provide new perspectives and ideas.

After completing the course, you will know:

What knowledge assets are and why it is important to be aware of them
Which knowledge assets you create in your research and which of them can create value beyond publications
What professor's privilege is and how secondary employment rules work
How knowledge valorisation works and examples of different forms thereof
What intellectual property rights are, how they work and how they are relevant to your research and your ability to utilise the results
Agreements and why it is important to think about them beforehand, and get help if needed
Different strategies for developing ideas into innovation

Registration

We welcome doctoral students and researchers from all disciplines! The course has 30 places.

Registration for the course starting in October is open. Registration deadline is 15 September.

Contact

If you have questions about the course, please contact course responsible: Nhils Forslund, UU Innovation