Complying with the Bayh-Dole Act

The Bayh–Dole Act (Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act) is a transformational piece of federal legislation enacted in 1980 that defines how inventions developed from federal government-funded research are handled. The Bayh-Dole Act permits universities that receive federal funding to own inventions that result from the research, rather than assigning inventions to the federal government. The Bayh-Dole Act contributed significantly to America's economy and its leadership in entrepreneurship.

The following 2-minute video on YouTube highlights the Bayh-Dole Act.

In 2018, several regulatory revisions of the Bayh-Dole Act went into effect that clarify certain definitions, reduce compliance burdens, simplify the electronic reporting process, and require written agreements between grant recipients and their employees.

Identifying GW Personnel to Sign a One-Time Acknowledgement

The GW Policy on Patents and Scholarly Work already requires researchers to sign agreements providing the George Washington University (GW) ownership of certain inventions using significant university resources including sponsored research funds. Now, GW is requiring those documents to be signed electronically in the form of an acknowledgement of responsibilities under the Policy on Patents and Scholarly Work. 

The acknowledgement is presented at the end of a 5-minute online module in the TaG system. Personnel that need to sign have been identified by human resources, with the exception of undergraduate students. Notices for faculty and research staff were sent in November 2024.

Principal Investigators: Please assign the Bayh-Dole Compliance TaG module to any undergraduate student employees working on sponsored research with you, or utilizing your lab space and equipment that is not generally available to all undergraduate students in a similar program. HR provides instructions on how to assign to your team members (PDF). Undergraduate or graduate students that aren't employees won't have access to TaG, so please email [email protected] to request an electronic form for them.

Here's a breakdown of the types of research personnel commonly associated with the Bayh-Dole Act requirements at a university:

• Researchers and Inventors: Scientists, faculty members, undergraduate, and graduate students who actively conduct research and contribute to the creation of new technologies, inventions, and innovations using sponsored research or significant university resources.
• Faculty: All regular faculty. All part-time faculty that do research.
• Students and Trainees: Graduate and undergraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, who contribute to research projects and might play a role in inventing new technologies. Graduate student employees will be assigned the module by human resources, but Principal Investigators should assign the module to undergraduate student employees that work in their labs or on sponsored research. For non-employee students, email [email protected] to request a form.
• Support Staff: Lab managers, research assistants, technicians, and administrative personnel who contribute to the research process and might be listed as inventors on patents or other forms of intellectual property.

If identified due to your employment status, or by your principal investigator, the module will be assigned to you in the TaG system. You may receive an email from [email protected]. Or you may go directly to the Bayh Dole Compliance module in TaG.