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Berkeley Corporate Engagement Network

The Berkeley Corporate Engagement Network (BCEN) is a community of UC Berkeley professionals who engage with industry partners.

IPIRA Publications

Do I need to be aware of any conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment?

Simply advising startup companies doesn’t create a conflict. However, conflicts can arise if, for example: (a) you or the startup conduct commercial work in your lab, or (b) you are compensated by the startup and advise the startup more than the allowable number of days.

Here’s are good resources regarding conflicts of interests:

Conflict of Interest guidance from the UC Berkeley Office of Ethics, Risk, and Compliance Frequently Asked...

Big Tech Research Awards

Several big tech companies advertise “gift” funding or “prize” awards to support university research. However, researchers and university development and sponsored projects offices should proceed with caution because the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of these “gifts” and “prizes” may actually qualify the funds as contracts with problematic terms for UC, and NOT as gifts. This page explains the challenges, requirements for UC to accept research support from big tech companies, and what you can do to ensure a more straightforward path to success.

I&E Activities Reports for Faculty

IPIRA generates reports for UC Berkeley faculty, by request, of innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) accomplishments tracked by IPIRA's peer divisions, the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) and the Industry Alliances Office (IAO).

A report will be emailed to you, with counts of the following I&E activities recorded between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2024.

Request CDA

Annual Reports

Guides to Outside Consulting

Who Should Disclose Inventions

How do you know if you should disclose an invention to the Berkeley Office of Technology Licensing (OTL)?

Submit an invention disclosure if any of the following is true. The innovation was created:

by a UC Berkeley employee as part of their scope of employment, or using UC Berkeley research facilities, or using funds administered through UC Berkeley

An invention that meets any of those criteria, and therefore could potentially be owned by the university, must be disclosed to OTL under the UC employee agreement. This ensures the...