Faculty participation in licensing: Implications for research

We exploit a unique database on research and invention disclosure of faculty at 11 major US universities over a period of 17 years to explore the extent to which faculty involvement in license activity has affected their research profiles. We relate faculty disclosures to their industry and government-sponsored research, publications, and citations. Recent disclosure by faculty has a positive effect on industry and government funding, but, if they disclose multiple times, the effect on government funding can be negative. Recent and repeated disclosures increase the faculty member's publication count as well as the importance of these publications in terms of citations. We also examine life-cycle effects and find that the ability to attract funding and the rate of publication increase as the faculty member ages but at a decreasing rate. We also find that post-tenure, both types of funding decrease.

Research highlights▶ A unique dataset on research and invention disclosure of faculty at 11 major universities is used to examine the relation between licensing activity and research. ▶ Disclosure in general is associated with increases in faculty publication output and importance. ▶ Recent disclosure increases their government funding but continual disclosure eventually decreases it.