Resources & Insights
The Commercify Blog
Expert insights and practical advice for innovators, researchers, and commercialization professionals.
NIH SBIR Application Guide: ICs, Aims, and the 2025 Review
How NIH SBIR really works in 2026. Picking the right Institute, engaging your Program Officer, study section mechanics, the Specific Aims page, the simplified review framework, and what NIH commercialization reviewers actually want.
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NSF SBIR Guide: America's Seed Fund, Project Pitch to Phase II
How NSF SBIR (America's Seed Fund) actually works. The Project Pitch screening, invitation-only full proposals, NSF's deep tech lens, I-Corps as a pre-SBIR signal, and the dual technical+commercial review that decides outcomes.
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Patent Claims Explained: Independent, Dependent, and Why They Matter
Patent claims are the patent — the rest is context. Inside: claim anatomy, independent vs dependent claims with annotated examples, the broad/narrow trade-off, and the 5 drafting mistakes that get patents invalidated.
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SBIR Eligibility: Requirements and Common Disqualifiers (2026)
Three eligibility tests, the VC-ownership rule most applicants get wrong, foreign-influence restrictions under the FY24 NDAA, PI primary employment, the two registrations you need before submitting, and the benchmark requirements for repeat applicants.
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University Patent Filing: Invention Disclosure to PCT
How a university technology actually moves from a researcher's idea to a filed patent. The disclosure form, Bayh-Dole timing, TTO triage, who pays, the typical 3-9 month timeline, and the conflict-of-interest issues for inventor-founders.
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What Is AUTM? The Association Behind US Tech Transfer
AUTM is the professional association for university tech transfer offices and the source of the annual licensing survey that benchmarks the industry. A plain-language guide to what AUTM does, its annual data release, the Innovation Marketplace, and how to actually use AUTM resources.
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The Researcher''s Commercialization Playbook
A plain-language playbook for individual scientists thinking about commercializing their own research. When to disclose, how to work with your TTO, the license-vs-spin-out decision, what each path means for your career, and the mistakes researchers most often make.
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The Technology Transfer Agreement: Anatomy of the Deal
What a technology transfer agreement actually contains, how each major clause works, where the negotiation usually happens, and how typical terms vary by technology type and stage. A plain-language guide for first-time negotiators on either side of the table.
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