Our Services

Acadia's Office of Industry & Community Engagement provides a number of services for researchers:  

Partnering Researchers with Industry, Government & Community Groups 

A primary activity of ICE staff is to partner Acadia researchers with companies and government organizations for a wide variety of research/service/consulting projects. This occurs when we respond to industry requests for research assistance, following visits to companies to determine their research needs, or when researchers approach ICE to obtain assistance finding external partners.   

Help Identifying Research Funding Sources

ICE can help you identify research funding that is appropriate for a variety of different research collaborations with external partners.  These sources include federal and provincial government funds that are available for university/industry collaborations (i.e. NSERC, IRAP), as well as private sources.  Please contact us for additional information.

Providing Intellectual Property Advice, Protection & Training

Another significant activity of ICE includes providing intellectual property-related advice, protection and training to faculty, staff and students.  The term “intellectual property” can be defined as the materials or communicable results of intellectual activity or scholarly inquiry. Intellectual property can be such things as inventions, computer software, trade-marks, databases, courseware, literary, artistic, musical, or visual works, and know-how. Successful commercialization requires that your intellectual property be properly protected at a very early stage, due to the fact that its value may be enhanced by the legal protection offered by patents, trademarks, copyright, etc.  ICE can provide advice to researchers on whether intellectual property protection is possible and/or advisable. 

Identifying and Assessing Technologies

Technologies are often identified through informal discussions with faculty members (or students) about their research programs, or when faculty members disclose technologies to ICE via an Invention Disclosure Form.  Following this, an initial market assessment will be completed, which includes conducting basic market research and (confidential) discussions with market/industry experts.  Faculty members who have developed technologies with commercial potential may be encouraged to explore IP protection and/or early stage commercialization/prototype funding.

Funding Prototype Development

ICE can help faculty members identify appropriate funding sources to develop or test proof-of-concept inventions which may have commercial potential.  Some of these funding sources include: Springboard Patent and Proof of Concept Awards, InNOVAcorp Early Stage Commercialization Fund and the NSERC Idea to Innovation (I2I) and CIHR PoP grants.

Marketing Technologies Ready to be Commercialized

At an early stage in the commercialization process, external partners will be identified and contacted to help determine the value of the technology and whether there is interest in licensing the technology.   It is extremely important to get feedback from industry partners as soon as possible;  this feedback can provide valuable input into product development as well as help guide commercialization efforts.  

Negotiating & Drafting Agreements

ICE assists in developing and negotiating a wide variety of industry-related research and commercialization agreements.  More common agreements include:  Confidentiality Agreements (often called NDA’s), Material Transfer Agreements; Collaboration Agreements, Sponsored Research Agreements, Service Agreements, Consulting Agreements, Facility Use Agreements, MOU’s, IP Agreements, Option Agreements, License Agreements, etc.