Our Approach to Supporting Students

A unit of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise

Supporting Student Entrepreneurs

Supporting Student Entrepreneurs

Startups launched based on ASU intellectual property today employ over 250 people in the state of Arizona – and half as many worldwide. ASU-linked startups and sublicensees have currently attracted more than $700 million in venture and other funding.

ASU is known for its unique and effective approach to growing an entrepreneurial enterprise within a public university system.

Here entrepreneurship is not confined to a single college or school, nor is it housed in one center or institute. Valuing entrepreneurship means that it is more than just a class or a program; it is a mindset that is woven into the fabric of our university, permeating every activity.

Our commitment to entrepreneurship led us to create our robust intern/extern program. Interns and externs working in our technology transfer offices gain valuable real-world experience and critical exposure to business development, patent prosecution, and much more. Many of the students in Skysong Innovations’ intern/extern programs have gone on to work with law firms both here in Arizona and across the country.

Opportunities at Skysong Innovations

Real World Experience

Learn from experienced professionals in a real-world setting.

Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities

The discipline of technology transfer requires skills in legal, scientific and business fields.

Networking Opportunities

Many of our students go on to work with our law firms and gain invaluable contacts in the industry.

Skysong Innovations Fellows

Technology Transfer Field Training

The Skysong Innovations Technology Transfer Fellows Program

The program is available to graduate (Masters/PhD/MBA/JD) students and Post-Doctoral Fellows in ASU's arts and sciences, engineering and business schools. Fellows will be exposed to a wide range of emerging technologies developed by ASU researchers in the life sciences and physical sciences areas and help to develop commercialization opportunities for these products. Fellows also enjoy the opportunity to connect with technology transfer professionals across multiple areas of our organization.

This is a paid internship program that focuses on assessing technical, commercial, and IP aspects of ASU technologies, as well as help develop commercialization strategies for ASU technologies. Skysong Innovations Fellows will be expected to commit between 10-28 hours a week.

Basic Qualifications:

  1. Ongoing affiliation with ASU as a master's, doctoral, post-doctoral or professional (MBA/JD) student;
  2. Proficiency in a scientific discipline (this helps candidates to be trained to in determining the commercial potential of scientific work);
  3. Ability to clearly communicate complex scientific ideas; orally and in writing;
  4. Commitment to a required minimum participation period of one year;
  5. Written consent from an advisor or supervisor;
  6. Ability to deliver projects on time;
  7. Eligibility to work in the United States in off-campus positions;
  8. Willingness to sign and abide by a confidentiality agreement.
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Entrepreneurship at ASU

Real World Experience in a University Setting

ASU is known for its unique and effective approach to growing an entrepreneurial enterprise within a public university system.

Here entrepreneurship is not confined to a single college or school, nor is it housed in one center or institute. Valuing entrepreneurship means that it is more than just a class or a program; it is a mindset that is woven into the fabric of the university, permeating every activity. ASU students, faculty and staff in every discipline and at every level work to identify local and global needs, articulate how to meet them and implement entrepreneurial solutions.

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Intern/Extern Descriptions

This externship will expose the students to technology transfer issues, including the identification, protection and commercialization of new technology.

Students in our legal externship program must hold a technical undergraduate or graduate degree (science, engineering, technology, computer science). Experience with IP in general and patent law in particular is helpful; an eagerness to learn is required.

You will coordinate with inventors and internal and external counsel as you prepare technology transfer documents, including technology evaluations, claim charts, patent applications, office action responses, and more.

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Graduate (Masters/PhD/MBA) students with backgrounds in engineering, physical sciences, biology, biochemistry and bioscience are encouraged to apply.

Students will be responsible for writing reports, assessing commercial viability of inventions submitted to Skysong Innovations, identifying potential investors or licensees, developing marketing materials for our inventions, and/or conducting financial analyses for negotiations. Students will be invited to attend internal staff presentations and engage with our team.

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Students that fill this position will be reporting to our administrative team and should be able to work in a team environment, have a basic knowledge of MS office programs, strong attention to detail and willingness to learn. The essential functions of this position are answering the phone, filing, and data entry as well as any other duties needed to improve and support our day-to-day operations.

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Student FAQs

Who is eligible to disclose an invention and to use Skysong's services?

Any employee or student of the Arizona State University may disclose an invention to Skysong Innovations.

Who pays the costs of patenting an invention?

Skysong Innovations covers all the costs of patenting an invention. After an invention is licensed the licensee reimburses these expenses.

Does my invention belong to ASU?

In most cases, yes. Ownership of Intellectual Property is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). Any intellectual property created by an ASU employee in the scope of employment and any intellectual property created with significant use of ASU resources are the property of ABOR.

What if I’m an undergrad student and not an employee?

Skysong Innovations will assess whether or not significant use of ASU resources were used in the creation of your discovery. Please make sure to note this on your Invention Disclosure form when it is submitted.

What if I invented something before coming to ASU?

ABOR would not claim ownership of an invention that was developed at another institution. However, any developments or improvements you make while at ASU should be disclosed. An inter-institutional agreement may have to be negotiated with your former institution.