Office of Research and Sponsored Programs ~
Division of Technology Management

Walt Chambliss, Ph.D., Director
Allyson Best, Assistant Director

The overall mission of the Division of Technology Management is to stimulate, protect, manage and transfer intellectual property from The University of Mississippi to the private sector for commercialization.

Primary Goals ~

• To increase the number of technologies licensed to commercial partners and facilitate the formation of companies based on university technologies;
• To manage an efficient process that is not a burden on faculty and staff and ensures that research outcomes with commercial potential are protected and then transferred to the private sector.

Primary Duties ~

• Negotiate and execute non-disclosure, material transfer, memoranda of understanding, licensing and other agreements with external parties as appropriate to facilitate external collaborations, technology transfer and economic development;
• Help faculty and staff identify commercial opportunities for intellectual property and prepare invention disclosures and other necessary documents;
• Help faculty and staff who wish to start a technology-based company obtain necessary approvals and establish contacts with potential investors;
• Manage the intellectual property process to ensure that the University obtains protection for inventions with promising commercial potential;
• Interface with licensees to ensure timely development of licensed technologies and fulfillment of financial obligations;
• Support business development efforts of individual departments, centers, and institutes on campus;
• Represent the University on economic development initiatives that relate to technology based businesses.