Survey on Research Activities and Commercialization of Intellectual Property in Higher Education (SRACIPHE)

The Questionnaire

1. Verify or provide the business or organization’s legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.

Will be pre-filled
Note: Legal name should only be modified to correct a spelling error or typo.
Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information.

• Legal name
• Operating name (if applicable)

2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.

Will be pre-filled
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.

• First name
• Last name
• Title
• Preferred language of communication
  • English
  • French
• Mailing address (number and street)
• City
• Province, territory or state
• Postal code 
• Country
• Email address
  Example: user@exemple.gov.ca
• Telephone number (including area code)
  Example: 123-123-1234
• Extension number (if applicable)
• Fax number (including area code)
  Example: 123-123-1234

3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

• Operational
• Not currently operational (e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership)
  • Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
    • Seasonal operations
      • When did this business or organization close for the season?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
    • Ceased operations
      • When did this business or organization cease operations?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • Why did this business or organization cease operations?
        • Bankruptcy
        • Liquidation
        • Dissolution
        • Other – specify the other reasons why the operations ceased
    • Sold operations
      • When was this business or organization sold?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
    • Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
      • When did this business or organization amalgamate?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
      • What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
    • Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
      • When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
    • No longer operating because of other reasons
      • When was this business or organization cease operations?
        Date: YYYY-MM-DD
      • Why did the business or organization cease operations?

4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). 
Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information, including a detailed description of the activity with example activities and any applicable exclusions.

• This is the main activity
• This is not the main activity
  Provide a Brief but precise description of this business or organization’s main activity
  e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

5. Was this business or organization’s main activity ever classified as prefilled NAICS will appear here?

• Yes
  When did the main activity change?
  Date: YYYY-MM-DD
• No

6. Search and select the industry activity classification that best corresponds to this business or organization’s main activity. 

How to search:

1. Filter the search results by first selecting the business or organization’s activity sector. 
2. Enter keywords or a brief description that best describe the business or organization’s main activity. 
3. Press the Search button to search the database for an industry activity classification that best matches the keywords or description you provided.
4. Select an industry activity classification from the list.

Select this business or organization’s activity sector (optional)

Enter keywords or a brief description, then press the Search button

Display example of NAICS search:

Select this business or organization’s activity sector (optional)

Enter keywords or a brief description, then press the Search button

Select an industry activity classification

• Furniture stores (442110)
•  Used merchandise stores (453310)
•  Window treatment stores (442291)
•  All other home furnishings stores (442298)
•  Print and picture frame stores (442292)
•  Floor covering stores (442210)
•  Hardware stores (444130)
•  None of the above - a Statistics Canada representative may call you to confirm the main activity.

Module 1: Institutional Information (Question 7 to Question 11)

7. Which of the following best describes this institution?

Select one.

1. This institution is a university, college, CEGEP or polytechnic that conducted $500,000 or more in research and development during the 2025 fiscal year using institutional personnel 
2. This institution is a centre collégial de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centre for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices; CCTT) registered as a not-for-profit organization
3. This institution is a technology transfer office, registered as a not-for-profit organization, providing intellectual property management and support services to higher education sector clients 
4. None of the above

8. Report this institution’s fiscal year that had an end date between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

All questions in this survey should be answered in reference to this institution’s fiscal year reported above. This corresponds to the reference year for the survey (2025).

From: YYYY-MM-DD
To: YYYY-MM-DD

Help text block for reporting instructions

Many universities, colleges, polytechnics and CEGEPs have complex legal structures covering multiple legal entities that serve the core activities of the higher education institution. The following question is not an exercise to list all the legal structures that are part of an institution's organizational structure but to clarify what entities are being reported through this questionnaire to avoid double counting.

In general, this report should include all organizational units and legal entities that support the mission of the higher education institution.
This includes the activities of all departments within the institution that are engaged, in whole or in part, in research, intellectual property support and management, and commercialization. For colleges and CEGEPs this includes the activities of Centre collégial de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centres for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices; CCTTs) and Technology Access Centres that are embedded within the institution.

Postsecondary institutions affiliated with research institutes or hospitals should report only the portion of research activities carried out at the affiliated hospital, research institute or research centre that is under the direct control of or administered by the postsecondary institution. Research activities that are not under the control or administered by the postsecondary institution should not be reported.

Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and CCTTs that operate as separate not-for-profit organizations affiliated with one or more postsecondary institutions, as subsidiaries may report independently.

Combined reporting

A single combined response may be submitted for the following institutional entities or arrangements, provided that the information is held or managed by the institution completing this survey, and the affiliated institution is not submitting a report in its own name.

Examples of affiliated legal entities that may be included in a combined report include:

• affiliated or federated university colleges that do not administer research funding independently, and do not receive invention disclosures directly
• small affiliated entities whose research activities (if any) and intellectual property are fully managed by the parent institution
• established network of institutions, wholly owned and operated subsidiaries (e.g., innovation centres, affiliated research institutes)
• TTOs and CCTTs that operate as separate not-for-profit organizations affiliated with one or more postsecondary education institutions, as subsidiaries, where noted in Question 10.

9. Does this report cover one or more legal entities? 

1. This response covers a parent legal entity named in Question 1
   Select this option if you are:
   • an overarching institution, such as a university, college, CEGEP or polytechnic. Include any centre collégial de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centre for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices; CCTT), Technology Access Centre or Technology Transfer Office (TTO)embedded within the institution in this report; or,
   • a CCTT or TTO that operates as a separate not-for-profit organization affiliated with one or more postsecondary institutions.
2. This response covers the institution named in Question 1 and one or more independent affiliated legal entities
3. The response for this institution is included in the report of another institution

Please name the institution that is providing the information on behalf of this institution:

Select this option if another institution is reporting on behalf of this institution.

10. For each institution included in this report (including the parent institution), please provide the following information.

Help text

To add an institution, enter the institution’s legal name, federal business number and select the type of institution. Then click the add this institution box.

To remove an institution, click on the Remove this institution button.

Providing a federal business number is optional. If a business number is not available, you may leave this field blank and continue adding the institution.

Current number of institutions included in this report:

Select type of institution:

• University
• College 
• Polytechnic
• CEGEP
• Engineering school
• Management or commerce school
• Centre collégial de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centre for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices) or Technology Access Centre 
• Technology transfer office 
• Other institution

11. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications that may help us interpret or better understand your responses to module 1: Institutional information.

Text box:

Module 2: Research partnerships (Question 12 to Question 15)

12. Did this institution have any active formal institutional-level research partnership agreements in place?

Help text

An institutional-level research partnership agreement refers to a formal, ongoing collaboration framework with an external organization that supports multiple or future research projects. These agreements are broader than individual project-specific research and development (R&D) agreements.

Include

• strategic research alliances
• institutional-level partnerships with any sector (e.g., business, government, non-profit institution)
• consortium participation where this institution is a named partner
• long-term collaboration supporting multiple projects
• joint research institutes, research centres or affiliation agreements that support multiple or ongoing research projects, even where the agreement covers activities beyond research.

Exclude

• individual, project-specific R&D agreements (these should be reported in subsequent questions).
• ancillary agreements (e.g., non-disclosure agreements, material transfer agreements, licensing agreements)
• informal collaborations without a signed agreement.

• Yes
  If ‘Yes’ is selected:
  Please select all types of active partners. 
  1. Businesses
  2. Federal government
  3. Other levels of government (e.g., provincial, territorial, municipal, Indigenous)
  4. Non-profit organizations
  5. Other universities
  6. Other colleges
  7. Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centres for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices; CCTT) that operate as separate not-for-profit organizations
  8. Hospitals
  9. Research institutes
  10. International organizations
  11. Other - Please specify other types of partners
• No

13. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution manage any of the following types of research and development (R&D) agreements? 

Help text

This question applies only to R&D agreements or contracts that govern specific research projects or collaborations, and not to general agreements or supporting documents.

Please exclude framework-type agreements, such as consortium memberships, general partnerships, memoranda of understanding and informal agreements that establish general collaboration terms.

In addition, exclude ancillary or supporting agreements (e.g., material transfer agreements, non-disclosure agreements or licensing agreements for existing intellectual property) that support a primary project-level R&D agreement.

Select all that apply.

1. Sponsored or Contract Research Agreements
   (definition: external funded research projects with defined deliverables, timelines, and intellectual property terms)
2. Collaborative Research Agreements (no external funds brought to this institution)
   (e.g., projects conducted jointly with external partners without financial transfers)
3. Grant-Based Research Agreements
   (e.g., research projects funded through formal grants (government or non-profit) with binding terms)
4. Clinical Trial/Clinical Research Agreements
   (e.g., projects involving human subjects, clinical trials or regulated clinical research)
5. Research Services/Testing Agreements
   (e.g., fee-for-service where this institution delivers research, testing or analysis according to a defined statement of work)
6.  Other type of R&D agreement - Please specify other types of R&D agreements managed by this institution
   Or
7. This institution did not manage any R&D agreements 

14. Which of the following research infrastructure or facilities at this institution were used by external partners or clients (e.g., under research contracts, collaborations or service agreements)?

Help text

Include

• cases where external partners or clients accessed, used or benefited from this institution's research infrastructure, facilities, equipment, databases, materials or specialized resources
• access may be provided directly, through supervised use, through institution staff acting on behalf of the external partner or through services delivered using the infrastructure 
• the provision of materials, samples, datasets or other research resources to external organizations under formal agreements (e.g., material transfer agreements, data-sharing agreements or similar arrangements).

Exclude

• facilities used solely by faculty or staff acting in their institutional role, even if the research was conducted under external contract or funding
• major national research facilities and large-scale research infrastructures that are hosted by, but not operated as part of, this institution. Examples include TRIUMF, SNOLAB, Ocean Networks Canada, Ocean Tracking Network, VIDO, and the Icebreaker facilities
• national advanced research computing infrastructure administered by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.

Select all that apply.

1. Research facilities (e.g., laboratories, test facilities, greenhouses) 
2. Specialized technology platforms (e.g., clean rooms, nanofabrication, imaging and microscopy facilities)
3. Digital research infrastructures owned by this institution (e.g., supercomputers or high-performance computing clusters, data platforms, simulation environments, data repositories; include only those that are not designated national infrastructure)
4. Life sciences and health infrastructures (e.g., biobanks, clinical research units)
5. Field and environmental infrastructures (e.g., observatories, research and field stations, environmental monitoring systems)
6. Social sciences and digital humanities infrastructures (e.g., survey labs, digital humanities platforms)
7. Prototyping, machine shop, makerspace facilities
8. Other - Please specify other research infrastructure or facilities used by external partners
   OR
9. This institution did not provide access to any research infrastructure or facilities to external clients during the fiscal year

15. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications regarding your responses to module 2: Research partnerships, including any context that may help us interpret your responses (optional).

Text box:

Module 3: Intellectual property (Question 16 to Question 35)

Help text block for questions 16 to 22

Intellectual property (IP)-related activities

Activities related to IP are actions that involve identifying, protecting, managing or using IP (e.g., patents, copyrights, trademarks) or supporting others in doing so.

These activities may support the development, commercialization or application of research results, technologies or new ideas.

Management and support of IP refer to institutional activities that help identify, protect, manage or enable the use of IP, even if this institution does not own or commercialize the IP directly.

IP related activities may also include, for example:

• using invention disclosure processes
• finding external collaborations
• identifying potential use
• providing IP assessment or advisory services
• creating documentation required to protect IP
• providing patent, copyright or other IP protection support
• managing or licensing IP
• licensing support or guidance
• providing commercialization or knowledge transfer support
• facilitating external collaborations related to IP development or use
• providing funding for IP activities 
• applying for IP on behalf of a third party or supporting an application by creating required documentation.

Institutions should include these activities whether support is provided in-house or delivered through external partners.

IP activities may be carried out by one or more units within an institution or organization, such as an office of applied research, a vice president’s research office, an industry liaison office or a technology transfer office.

16. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution provide the following activities through offices or units with formally assigned responsibility for intellectual property (IP) management or support?

Help text

For this question, consider only activities conducted by formal offices or units with assigned responsibility for IP management or support (e.g., technology transfer offices, research offices or equivalent).

IP management includes the identification, protection, and licensing of Intellectual property (e.g., invention disclosures, patenting, licensing).

IP support includes advisory or facilitation services directly related to these activities (e.g., patent strategy advice, disclosure support, IP-related industry liaison). 

Include

• IP management or support activities provided directly by this institution’s staff.

Exclude

• general entrepreneurship or commercialization activities (e.g., incubators, accelerators, entrepreneur-in-residence programs, business mentorship) 
• activities not tied to specific IP assets or IP processes
• academic coursework related to IP.

Select all that apply.

1. This institution provided IP management activities
2. This institution provided IP support activities
3. This institution outsourced IP management or support activities to other postsecondary institutions
4. This institution outsourced IP management or support activities to external offices other than postsecondary institutions
   OR
5. This institution did not perform IP support or management activities and did not outsource them

17. How were responsibilities for intellectual property (IP)–management and support organized within this institution in the 2025 fiscal year?

Help text

Consider only units with formally assigned responsibility for IP activities (e.g., office of applied research, vice president’s research office, industry liaison office, technology transfer office or research offices), regardless of their location within the institution.

Select only one.

1. Centralized—a coordinated central office manages IP activities within the institution. (e.g., research office or technology transfer office)
2. Decentralized—a dispersed number of offices manage IP activities for their respective areas of responsibility. 
3. There is no formal organizational responsibility for IP recognized within this institution.

18. For the 2025 fiscal year, provide the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in formal offices or units responsible for intellectual property (IP) management or support.

Help text

FTE employees are the number of FTE jobs, defined as total hours worked divided by average annual hours worked in full-time jobs. This can also be described as FTE work-years. If you have three persons working one quarter of their time on this activity, the FTE is equal to 0.25+0.25+0.25 = 0.75 FTE.

Include

• staff with explicitly assigned responsibilities for IP (identification, protection, licensing).

Exclude

• staff in incubators, accelerators, entrepreneur-in-residence programs or other commercialization initiatives unless they are part of a formal IP-responsible unit
• faculty or researchers without formally assigned IP roles
• general entrepreneurship or business support.

Total number of FTE employees:

19. Please provide or estimate the total operating budgets of all formal offices or units responsible for intellectual property (IP) management and support in the 2025 fiscal year.

Help text

Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars (CAN$ ’000). For example, report $1,250,000 as 1,250.

Include budget for IP costs (e.g., fees paid to external patent attorneys or agents, patent maintenance fees, Intellectual property filing fees).

Exclude the costs associated with courses that lead to completion of degree or certification and the salaries of professors that do not work within an office that manages IP.

Please specify in the end-of-module comment box if your response is an estimate.

20. In the 2025 fiscal year, which organizations received intellectual property (IP) services from this institution?

Help text

Include all organizations that received IP services during the 2025 fiscal year.

For centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie et de pratiques sociales novatrices (college centres for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices; CCTT) registered as a not-for-profit organization, please indicate if IP services are provided to the CEGEP(s) or college(s) with which the CCTT is affiliated.

If this report covers more than one institution (as indicated in Question 9), please report as internal all IP-related services provided to institutions combined in this report.

Higher education includes universities, colleges, polytechnics, CEGEPs, and research units administered by them.

Government includes federal, provincial/territorial, and other levels and types of government organizations and public research bodies.

Select all that apply.

1. Internal users within this institution
2. Affiliated CEGEPs or colleges 
3. External (arm’s-length) research institutes, hospitals or hospital research centres
4. External (arm’s-length) higher education institutions
5. External (arm’s-length) organizations such as businesses or government organizations
6. Other - Specify the other types of users or organizations receiving IP services

21. For each of the following types of recipients, indicate which services related to intellectual property (IP) were provided by this institution.

1. IP services provided from the institution to internal users
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities
2. IP services provided from the institution to affiliated colleges and CEGEPs
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities
3. IP services provided from the institution to external research institutes or hospitals
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities
4. IP services provided from the institution to external higher education institutions
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities
5. IP services provided from the institution to external partners or clients
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities

22. In the 2025 fiscal year, which of the following services related to intellectual property (IP) were obtained from external providers?

1. IP services obtained from external providers
   Select all that apply.
   1. Identifying or assessing IP potential (e.g., disclosure review, market or feasibility assessment)
   2. Managing or supporting IP protection (e.g., preparing disclosures, working with legal advisors, filing applications)
   3. Providing IP advice or strategy (e.g., ownership, protection, commercialization approaches)
   4. Negotiating or managing IP-related agreements (e.g., research or licensing agreements)
   5. Managing IP assets or portfolio (e.g., tracking, maintaining records, managing filings)
   6. Managing or supporting commercialization of IP
   7. Providing training, outreach or awareness related to IP (exclude formal academic programs)
   8. Providing funding for IP activities
      OR
   9. IP services were not obtained from external providers

23. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution receive any invention disclosures?

Help text

An invention disclosure is a formal submission by a researcher, staff member or student to this institution (e.g., to a technology transfer or intellectual property (IP) office) describing a potentially protectable invention, design, copyright, patent, plant variety, software or algorithm, trade secret or trademark.

Exclude

• licensing agreements or licences executed without an invention disclosure
• IP originating entirely outside this institution (unless formally disclosed to this institution).

• Yes
• No

24. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution protect, or help its researchers to protect, any of its disclosed inventions or creations using any of the following intellectual property types?

Select all that apply.

1. Patents
2. Copyrights
3. Trademarks
4. Industrial designs 
5. Plant varieties
6. Trade secrets
7. Other - Please specify other types of IP protection
   OR
8. This institution did not pursue any protection for any newly disclosed inventions

25. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution hold or own any type of intellectual property?

• Yes
• No

26. How is intellectual property ownership determined at this institution?

Help text

More than one mechanism may apply.

Institutional policies may guide internal research, while contracts often determine ownership in collaborative research.

Select all options that reflect how ownership is determined across this institution.

Select all that apply.

1. Determined by institutional rules (e.g., institutional policies, directives, frameworks or similar instruments, employment agreements or collective agreements)
2. Determined through negotiated project-specific contracts or agreements
3. Researchers may choose whether to retain or assign ownership (i.e., inventor choice)
4. Determined by external requirements (e.g., funding program requirements, government legislation, directives or frameworks that predetermine or restrict ownership.
5. Other - Please specify other methods of determining IP ownership

27. For intellectual property generated from research and development conducted at this institution, which parties assume ownership under the following scenarios?

1. Research conducted solely by the reporting institution 
   Select all that apply.
   1. Ownership by researchers
   2. Ownership by the institution 
   3. Joint ownership between researchers and the institution
   4. Varies depending on the project
   5. Other - Please specify other ownership arrangements
2. Research conducted at this institution in collaboration with any external partners such as other institutions in the higher education sector, businesses, governments or non-profit organizations.
   Select all that apply.
   1. Sole ownership by this institution
   2. Joint ownership among education institutions
   3. Ownership by researchers
   4. Joint ownership among education institutions and individual researchers
   5. Ownership by non-education partners
   6. Joint ownership between this institution and one or more non-education partners
   7. Joint ownership among all participants
   8. Ownership by one or more collaborating partners where this institution does not hold ownership
   9. Ownership varies depending on the project or agreement
   10. Other - Please specify other ownership arrangements
       OR
   11. Not applicable

28. In the 2025 fiscal year, for intellectual property generated from research and development conducted at this institution, which ownership structure was the most common at the institution?

1. Research conducted solely by the reporting institution
   1. Ownership by researchers
   2. Ownership by the institution 
   3. Joint ownership between researchers and the institution
   4. Varies depending on the project
   5. Other
2. Research conducted at this institution in collaboration with any external partners, such as other higher education sector institution(s), businesses, government or non-profit organizations. 
   1. Sole ownership by this institution
   2. Joint ownership among education institutions
   3. Ownership by researchers
   4. Joint ownership among education institutions and individual researchers
   5. Ownership by non-education partners
   6. Joint ownership between this institution and one or more non-education partners
   7. Joint ownership among all participants
   8. Ownership by one or more collaborating partners where this institution does not hold ownership 
   9. Ownership varies depending on the project or agreement
   10. Other

29. For the 2025 fiscal year, how many patent applications were filed, how many patents were granted and how many active patents were held by this institution?

Include

• patents owned or co-owned by the institution
• patents and applications managed on behalf of the institution (e.g., by a Technology Transfer Office or affiliated entity)
• new applications filed and patents granted during the fiscal year
• active patents, which include all patents that were in force at the end of the fiscal year, regardless of when they were granted.

Exclude

• patents owned only by external organizations (e.g., industry partners)
• patents where the institution has no ownership or legal rights
• duplicate reporting of the same patent by multiple entities.

30. In the 2025 fiscal year, what types of intellectual property (IP) did this institution license?

A licence is a formal legal agreement that grants a person or organization permission to use, make, reproduce, modify, sell or otherwise exploit IP owned by another party, under specified terms and conditions, while ownership of the IP remains with the licensor.

A licence may be:

• exclusive (granted to one licensee only)
• non-exclusive (granted to multiple licensees)
• sole (shared between the licensor and one licensee)
• royalty-bearing or royalty-free.

In short, a licence provides permission to use IP without transferring ownership.

Select all that apply.

1. Patents
2. Software or digital tools (e.g., databases) 
3. Industrial designs 
4. Copyrights 
5. Trademarks, branding or marketing outputs 
6. Integrated circuit topographies 
7. Plant varieties or breeders’ rights 
8. Research datasets or data collections 
9. Biological materials or cell lines 
10. Other - Please specify other types of IP licensed
    OR
11. This institution did not license IP in the 2025 fiscal year 

31. What were the total payments received from external parties for intellectual property (IP) owned by this institution?

Include

• licensing income (e.g., fees, royalties, milestone payments) 
• option and access fees
• sales of IP
• realized equity gains 
• settlement income from IP enforcement.

Exclude

• in-kind contributions or non-monetary benefits
• internal transfers within this institution or affiliated entities
• unrealized equity value 
• patent reimbursement.

Amount (CAN$ ’000):

32. Please rate the importance of the following obstacles in limiting or affecting this institution's commercialization of intellectual property (IP) capabilities.

Help text

Commercialization activities include actions that support the development, transfer or use of research, technologies or IP in real-world or market settings. Examples include licensing IP, creating start-ups or spin-offs, developing partnerships with industry, prototyping or testing technologies, and supporting adoption or market entry.

Rate the importance.
Select from “not important” to “very important” as applicable

33. Please specify the “other” obstacles that this institution encountered in the commercialization of intellectual property.

Other obstacles:

34. Which of the following types of resources did this institution use for information, guidance or advice on intellectual property (IP) matters?

Select all that apply.

1. Canadian Intellectual Property Office
2. Other Canadian government offices
   (e.g., federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, Indigenous) 
3. Foreign IP offices 
   (e.g., United States Patent and Trademark Office, World Intellectual Property Organization)
4. Trade commissioner services
5. Business incubators or accelerators
6. IP clinics
7. Academic and research institutions
   (e.g., universities, technology transfer offices, research labs, innovation hubs)
8. In-house legal counsel or legal departments 
   (exclude external law firms or lawyers)
9. External law firms or lawyers
   (exclude in-house legal counsel or legal department)
10. IP strategists
11. Professional consulting or advisory firms (non-legal)
    (e.g., innovation consultants, IP advisory firms, accounting firms with IP expertise)
12. In-house patent or trademark agents
13. External patent or trademark agents
14. Industry associations, chambers of commerce or business partner networks
15. Online IP databases and tools
    (e.g., patent databases such as Espacenet, Google Patents, trademarks, databases)
16. Standards organizations or industry consortia
    (e.g., standards bodies, sector-specific alliances)
17. Financial institutions or funding agencies
    (e.g., venture capital firms, grant agencies, innovation funding bodies)
18. Internal non-legal teams
    (e.g., research and development departments, innovation or commercialization teams)
19. Other sources - Please specify other types of resources used for IP information, guidance or advice
    (e.g., friends, peers, mentors, word of mouth, other online sources, webinars, conferences, training programs)
    OR
20. This Institution did not use any of the above noted resources for information, guidance or advice on IP matters 

35. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications regarding your responses to module 3: Intellectual property. Include any context that may help us interpret your responses (optional).

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Module 4: Support for advancing projects toward commercialization (Question 36 to Question 40)

36. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution engage in any of the following product, process or prototype validation, refinement or development activities? 

Help text

The response options are organized according to Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), which describe the maturity of a product, process or prototype.

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

• TRL 1–3: Early-stage research, concept development, and proof-of-concept activities.
• TRL 4–6: Prototype refinement and testing in operational or user environments.
• TRL 7+: Final development, qualification, demonstration, and preparation for deployment, commercialization or operational use.

Please refer to the reporting guide for more detailed definitions.

Select all that apply.

1. Research, concept development, and proof-of-concept of products, processes or prototypes in controlled or simulated environments (associated with TRL 3 and below)
2. Refinement and testing of products, processes or prototypes in operational or user environments (associated with TRL 4, 5 or 6)
3. Final development, qualification or market-ready preparation of products, processes or prototypes (associated with TRL 7 and above)
   OR 
4. This institution did not engage in any of these activities in the 2025 fiscal year

37. In the 2025 fiscal year, to what extent were activities that advanced research outcomes toward commercialization tracked at this institution?

Help text

These are activities that involve final development, qualification or market-ready preparation of products, processes or prototypes (associated with technology readiness levels 7+).

Select one of the following.

1. Fully and systematically tracked across the institution
2. Tracked in some units or programs only
3. Informally or inconsistently tracked
4. Not tracked
5. Don’t know 

38. In the 2025 fiscal year, how many new or improved products, processes or prototypes reached final development, demonstration, qualification or preparation for deployment, operational use or commercialization (associated with technology readiness levels 7 or higher)?

Help text

New or improved product: The introduction of a good that is new or significantly improved with respect to its characteristics or intended use. Improvements may include technical specifications, components, materials, software, user experience or other functional features.

Prototype: An early, functional version of a product, system or process developed to test, validate or refine a concept or design prior to full implementation or release.

Only include prototypes that are sufficiently developed to be tested or evaluated in practice during the reporting period. Prototypes may undergo multiple iterations as part of the development process.

Routine coursework, instructional exercises or conceptual projects are not considered prototypes unless they are used for formal testing, validation or advancement toward practical application.

New or improved process: Implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method. This includes significant changes in techniques, equipment or software.

TRL 7+ refers to the final development, qualification or market-ready preparation of products, processes or prototypes.

• Number of new or improved products:
• Number of new or improved processes:
• Number of new or improved prototypes:

39. Please provide any additional comments or details to help us understand your answer to the previous question (optional). 

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40. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications that may help us interpret or better understand your responses related to module 4: Support for advancing projects toward commercialization (optional). 

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Module 5: Business support (Question 41 to Question 47)

41.  In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution support the creation of spin-offs?

Help text

Spin-off:

A spin-off is a new company created to commercialize intellectual property (IP), knowledge, technology or other research outputs developed at this institution where there is a formal and verifiable relationship to IP developed at this institution.

For the purpose of this survey, include only those companies where there is a formal and verifiable relationship to IP developed at the institution such as option and licensing agreements, invention disclosures or equity participation.

Please consider companies that registered as a legal entity within the 2025 fiscal year.

When answering this section, report only activities related to spin-offs. Information on supports provided to other external businesses will be collected in separate questions below.

Please refer to the reporting guide for detailed inclusion and exclusion instructions.

• Yes
• No

42. In the 2025 fiscal year, how many spin-offs were created from intellectual property generated from research and development activities originating at this institution? 

1. Number of spin-offs:
2. This institution does not track spin-offs

43. Please provide the legal name and business number for each spin-off company that was created from intellectual property generated from research and development activities originating at this institution and incorporated in the 2025 fiscal year.

Help text

To add a spin-off, enter the legal name and federal business number under the add spin-off heading. Then click the add this spin-off box.

To remove a spin-off, click on the Remove this spin-off button.

Providing a federal business number is optional. If a business number is not available, you may leave this field blank and continue adding spin-offs.

Link to search federal corporations: Search for a Federal Corporation - Online Filing Centre - Corporations Canada - Corporations - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Current number of spin-offs:

• Remove spin-off

44. Which of the following types of resources or services did this institution provide to spin-offs that were created from intellectual property (IP) generated from research and development (R&D) activities originating at this institution?

Help text

Please indicate the resources or services that were offered to spin-offs that emerged from this institution.

Include resources, services or mentorship provided for any spin-off that emerged from this institution at any time and under any circumstance.

Exclude resources or services for any external business to this institution (this also includes any start-ups).

Select all that apply.

1. Prototype or minimum viable product development, including mentorship or direct technical assistance
2. Access to student internships or co-op placements 
3. Market research
4. Data analysis 
5. Hosting of pitch competitions or hackathons 
6. Access to R&D services
7. Access to institutional facilities, physical space, equipment or research infrastructure
   (e.g., laboratories, testing facilities, workshops, office space, shared research facilities, specialized equipment or digital research infrastructure)
8. Access to legal clinics  
9. Faculty-supervised projects involving enterprise problems 
10. Collaboration on grant writing or government funding applications 
11. Support with preparing ventures for investment and facilitating engagement with investors
12. Support with the adoption and implementation of technologies in practice 
    (e.g., developing adoption, training or integration plans for putting new technologies or techniques into operations)
13. Company formation and governance support
14. Provision of incubator or accelerator programs or services
15. Provision of IP management or support
16. Other support - Please specify the other type of support provided
    OR
17. This institution did not provide any type of support to spin-offs that emerged from this institution

45. In the 2025 fiscal year, did this institution support the creation of start-up companies?

Help text

Start-up:

A start-up is a new company created to address a market need, typically built on a novel idea or technology and supported by a business plan and growth strategy.

For the purpose of this survey, start-up refers to a business that may receive support from this institution, but where there is no formal or verifiable relationship to IP developed at this institution.

Start-ups may include student-led ventures, incubator or accelerator-supported companies or external clients.

Please consider companies that registered as a legal entity within the 2025 fiscal year.

Please refer to the reporting guide for detailed inclusion and exclusion instructions.

• Yes
• No

46. Which of the following types of resources or services did this institution provide to start-ups or external businesses (at arm’s length to this institution; this excludes spin-offs that were created from intellectual property (IP) generated from research and development (R&D) activities originating at this institution)? 

Help text

Please indicate the resources or services that were offered to external businesses (arm’s-length businesses).

Include resources, services or mentorship provided to any external business to this institution.

Exclude resources or services for any spin-offs that were created from IP generated from R&D activities originating at this institution at any time and under any circumstance.

Select all that apply. 

1. Prototype or minimum viable product development, including mentorship or direct technical assistance
2. Access to student internships or co-op placements 
3. Market research
4. Data analysis 
5. Hosting of pitch competitions or hackathons 
6. Access to R&D services
7. Access to institutional facilities, physical space, equipment or research infrastructure
   (e.g., laboratories, testing facilities, workshops, office space, shared research facilities, specialized equipment or digital research infrastructure)
8. Access to legal clinics
9. Faculty-supervised projects involving enterprise problems 
10. Collaboration on grant writing or government funding applications 
11. Support with preparing ventures for investment and facilitating engagement with investors
12. Support with the adoption and implementation of technologies in practice
    (e.g., developing adoption, training or integration plans for putting new technologies or techniques into operations)
13. Company formation and governance support
14. Provision of incubator or accelerator programs or services
15. Provision of IP management or support
16. Other support - Please specify the other type of support provided
    OR
17. This institution did not provide any type of support to start-ups or external businesses

47. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications regarding this institution’s responses to module 5: Business support, including any context that may help us interpret your responses (optional).

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Module 6: Survey feedback (Question 48 to Question 52)

48. How many persons were consulted or involved in completing this survey?

1. 1
2. 2 or 3
3. 4 to 10
4. 11 or more
5. Don’t know

49. Please provide any additional comments or clarifications regarding this institution’s responses to the previous question, including any context that may help us interpret your responses (optional).

Text box:

50. Is respondent name the best person to contact?

• Yes
• No
  Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Title
  • Email address
    (Example: user@exemple.gov.ca)
  • Telephone number (including area code)
    (Example: 123-123-1234)
  • Extension number (if applicable)
  • Fax number (including area code)
    (Example: 123-123-1234)

51. How long did it take to complete the questionnaire?

Hours:
Minutes: 

52. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Text box: