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Office of the President
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   CVIP logo Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property
UMass logo Building Collaboration Between UMass Faculty and Industry


"We pursue knowledge and innovation not only for their own sake, but also to build a stronger economic future for the Commonwealth and to shape better lives for its citizens."

Jack M. Wilson
President, University of Massachusetts

About UMass CVIP

In fiscal year 2006, the University of Massachusetts received more than $400 million in public and private funding for research and development. Half of that money supported research in life sciences; the rest was distributed among engineering, computer sciences, environmental physical sciences, and other disciplines. Every year, research by University of Massachusetts faculty results in nearly 200 new technologies, many of which have significant commercial potential. The University typically seeks patents or other legal protection for these technologies and then licenses them to companies that, in turn, use them to develop innovative products or processes. Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP) is a UMass initiative that is responsible for establishing this link between the University and industry. The executive director of CVIP also oversees the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC), which conducts a technology transfer at all Massachusetts research institutions.

Key Activities

  • Evaluating new technologies developed by University faculty;
  • Marketing and licensing University technologies to forward-looking businesses;
  • Forming research collaborations between University investigators and industry;
  • Participating in the formation of new ventures based on the University’s proprietary technologies;
  • Supporting the University’s incubator program, which provides facilities and resources to catalyze the growth of new companies;
  • Working with other state groups to maintain the Commonwealth’s technological leadership position;
  • Facilitating intercampus research collaborations;
  • Advising the University on a range of matters involving intellectual property and related policies.
  • Managing the CVIP Technology Fund, which provides grants to our researchers for developing commercially promising technologies;
  • Advising the UMass Treasurer on equity investments in UMass technology based companies through the UMass Co-Investment Equity Fund.

Mission Statement


CVIP’'s mission is to commercialize the University’s intellectual property for the benefit of both the University and society. CVIP evaluates new University technologies, seeks and manages patents and other protections, identifies potential industrial partners, and negotiates licensing agreements. The revenues generated from technology commercialization are used for the continued financial support of faculty research activities. The office also supports the economic development initiatives of the University through company formation and job creation, and thereby helps maintain the Commonwealth’s position as a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies.

CVIP Executive Director


Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property, in the University of Massachusetts Office of the President, is headed by Executive Director William S. Rosenberg. The executive director is responsible for coordinating the activities of the five campus CVIP offices. He ensures that the University’s technology commercialization transactions bring fair value to the University and are consistent with its Intellectual Property Policies. The office also serves as a focal point, both within the University and with outside organizations, for matters involving intellectual property as well as those pertaining to emerging technologies.

Areas of Excellence


CVIP exploits technologies that are being developed on each of the five University of Massachusetts campuses. Each campus has particular research expertise. As a result, the University offers a broad array of technologies developed by its faculty. For information regarding available technologies, contact individual campuses. At the Amherst campus, the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering is considered one of the best in the United States. Amherst is also known for its excellent research and technological development in the fields of computer science, biology, agriculture, food science, and chemistry. For more information, visit http://amherst.cvip-umass.net The Boston campus is actively developing important technology in environmental sciences, green chemical processes, and optics. The strengths of the Dartmouth campus include marine sciences (at their School for Marine Science and Technology), textiles, engineering, and acoustics. Dartmouth also manages the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center, which develops improved manufacturing processes to support local industry. The University’s Plastics Engineering Department at the Lowell campus is world-renowned. Lowell'’s strengths also include computer sciences and other engineering disciplines. For more information, visit http://www.uml.edu/cvip/. The University Medical School located in Worcester is one of the top-ranked public medical programs in the country. It has a broad array of research strengths in the fields of medical devices, cancer and diabetes, gene function, vaccines, and other technologies. Through its Biologics Laboratory, the medical school also has a separate vaccine production and research facility. For more information, visit http://www.umassmed.edu/otm/.