Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc. (VTIP) commercializes technologies developed by Virginia Tech researchers and has hundreds of technologies in its portfolio (http://www.vtip.org/availableTech/). We utilize undergraduate interns with strong technical backgrounds to help us assess new technologies invented by VT faculty, protect the related intellectual property, and license those technologies to companies to develop into products and services.

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc. (VTIP) commercializes technologies developed by Virginia Tech researchers and has hundreds of technologies in its portfolio (http://www.vtip.org/availableTech/). We utilize undergraduate interns with strong technical backgrounds to help us assess new technologies invented by VT faculty, protect the related intellectual property, and license those technologies to companies to develop into products and services. Interns can work on single projects with a broad scope (invention portfolios) but most often work on multiple distinct inventions over the course of a semester. 
With guidance from VTIP licensing associates, students will conduct research that enables the assessment of new inventions from both a technical and a commercial standpoint. Tasks the students would be involved in will include:
– conducting background research to understand the technology behind a new invention
– reviewing prior art, research by others and existing products in comparison to the invention
– prepare inventor interviews to better understand the invention and ongoing research plans
– assessing an invention’s technical and commercial strengths and weaknesses 
– managing intellectual property (IP) protection including coordination with patent attorneys
– discussing commercialization with industry experts
– contacting companies with potential commercialization interests
– negotiating and managing intellectual property licensing agreements

VTIP’s CSIIP interns will combine hands-on experience with leading edge research together with the legal issues related to IP protection and licensing that enables research commercialization that benefits mankind. This experience will be invaluable regardless of a student’s career path.

Benefits of a student internship at VTIP:
• Experience: provides valuable training to the students for a broad range of career paths
• Leadership: students learn necessary skills to the become technical, business and technology transfer leaders of the future
• Students interact with a wide variety of researchers and faculty and expand their knowledge beyond traditional subject boundaries
• Improve communication, presentation and time management skills through background research, collaborating with licensing associates and interviews with faculty inventors
• Professional development experience from working in a real-world office environment

Primary Skills Needed:
The ability to quickly come up to speed on new technologies and develop insights based on comparison to current state of the art in academia and industry. Other skills needed include: 
• The ability to conduct research on subject areas outside of student’s traditional major or skillset 
• The ability to communicate effectively in a professional manner
• A solid technical background to enable analyzing a wide range of inventions is necessary