About NAI

Benefits of Joining the National Academy of Inventors

Primary Benefits:

Honors, encourages and publicly recognizes academic inventors who hold patents, including faculty, graduate students, staff, alumni and affiliates.
Encourages the disclosure of intellectual property.
Encourages the translation of inventions by members to benefit society.
Encourages invention, innovation and getting patents at the university.
Promotes and enhances the development and commercialization of university patents and innovations
Provides a vehicle by which to encourage change in the culture at the university (if having a patent does not currently count toward promotion and tenure).
NAI connection with the USPTO, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).
Provides a mechanism for potentially enhancing innovation both locally and nationally
Promotes interdisciplinary groups for fostering new ideas.
Provides the opportunity for faculty members (not just inventor members) to publish in the journal of the NAI,Innovation and Technology – Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors, now in its 2nd year, published quarterly.
Provides a mechanism for developing relevant invention-based activities, such as workshops or symposia on innovation and invention, in collaboration with the university's technology transfer, Patents & Licensing administration.
Encourages creative thinking and a spirit of innovation.
Puts the chapter in a position to provide advice and guidance to new and existing inventors in their work.
Enhances the visibility of university technology development, promotes entrepreneurship and provides a means to be advocates for university innovation in the local community.
Creates a resource for the local university area community to facilitate greater industry research contracts and interactions with companies and organizations in order to increase economic impact.
Increases awareness of intellectual property at the university by mentoring, fostering and encouraging faculty, staff and students to develop their intellectual property and inventions.
Helps shape society by being in a position to understand the translational use of inventions at the university and elsewhere; and to be a role model in such endeavors for students, staff and faculty.
Provides social networking among members.
Listing of chapter members names on the website including listing members’ patents.
Provides a means to recognize and honor others important to innovation at the university through honorary membership.
Provides an opportunity to educate and mentor innovative students.
National publicity via press releases through the NAI about the chapter.
Specially designed NAI lapel pins provided for all inventor members.

Secondary Benefits:

Provides social networking among members.
Listing of chapter members names on the website including listing members’ patents.
Provides a means to recognize and honor others important to innovation at the university through honorary membership.
Provides an opportunity to educate and mentor innovative students.
National publicity via press releases through the NAI about the chapter.
Specially designed NAI lapel pins provided for all inventor members.