Invention and Proprietary Information Agreement (IPIA)

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Overview

MIT’s Invention and Proprietary Information Agreement (IPIA) form is required for all MIT faculty, students, staff, and others participating in MIT programs, including visitors, fellows, and affiliates. The form is most frequently encountered by the MIT community as part of MIT’s Atlas New Hire and New Graduate Appointment processes. It can also be accessed directly from the Technology Licensing Office (TLO) website and, now, as a standalone app within the Atlas Full Catalog.

Originally, this form was facilitated directly through DLCs and the TLO. As part of the 2013 Atlas New Hire Project, the form was digitized and incorporated into the New Hire and New Graduate Appointment package.

Who is required to sign?

In general, MIT employees, faculty, staff, graduate students and certain undergraduates are all required to sign. In accordance with federal regulation (35 U.S.C. § 206 (the "Bayh-Dole Act"), 37 CFR 401), MIT’s sponsored research contracts and Institute Policy, all persons having an opportunity to participate in MIT research (including visitors, affiliates, and fellows) must execute an IPIA which presently assigns the inventor’s entire title and interest in certain inventions to MIT. Versions of the IPIA drafted post-April 2010 meet this requirement.

Anyone who completed an IPIA prior to April 2010 will be asked to sign a current version.

New Community Members: The form is required for all new members of the community, including new hires and new graduate students. The form will be presented as part of the New Hire/New Graduate Student appointment process via Atlas.

Certain Existing Community Members: Certain members of the existing MIT population are required to re-sign their forms (see above). The TLO office will prompt these groups or individuals to re-sign by e-mailing a link to the digitized IPIA form. The form can also be accessed from the Atlas Full Catalog.

Accessing and Signing the IPIA Form

• From the Atlas Full Catalog, search for IPIA, or select it from the General section:

• The IPIA form will be populated automatically with your name, MIT ID, birth month & day, e-mail address, and department. To electronically sign the form, scroll to the bottom, check the box and click Accept.

• Once you have signed, a PDF of the completed form will emailed to you, and notification will be sent to your department's HR Administrator and the TLO office.

FAQs

I’m an undergraduate, do I need to sign this form?

Undergraduates participating in certain UROP programs are required to sign the IPIA. Unless otherwise specified, you are not required to sign the form.

What if I’ve already signed the form directly through my department or TLO?

Unless you signed a version of the form drafted prior to April of 2010, then no further action should be required, and the status of your signature will display as such within the IPIA digitized app. TLO will reach out to you if additional action is required.

Can I still sign the form directly via TLO?

Yes, the form can still be signed by reaching out to your department administrative officer or TLO directly.

I’ve received a notification to re-sign the form. Where should I go to sign it?

Your notification should have been provided with a link to the digitized form. If it did not, contact TLO for guidance.

I’ve already signed the form in the TLO office, but the app shows my signature is still required?

If you’ve already signed the form, but you’re receiving a notification to re-sign or the digitized IPIA form indicates your signature is still pending, contact TLO for guidance.

More information

If you have any questions regarding these forms, please call 617-253-6966, stop by NE18-501, or email tlo-ipia@mit.edu for more information.

Additional information can also be found on the TLO website