?People must be confident that getting involved in commercialization need not damage their academic career,? says Mr. Hock day. Professor Gus Hancock, a chemist whose spin out company Oxford Medical Diagnostics aids disease diagnosis through breath testing, testifies to this: I have certainly felt very strongly that the involvement with setting up a spin out company has in no way affected the type of research that I have been able to do within the department in anything but a positive fashion. I have not felt that I have been required or forced to go in any commercial direction.



In addition to technology transfer, Isis provides support for academics working as consultants across all disciplines. Through its Oxford University Consulting (OUC) arm, Isis staff can advise researchers who want to sell their time, and match them with prospective clients. Professor Angela Vincent, for more detail www.product-launching.com Head of the Department of Clinical Neurology, has benefited from this service in the past: ?Isis set up a consulting contract for me when I was asked to act as an expert witness. It was worth going through Isis to make sure I got the best deal ? and they did the entire invoicing etc.?

In 2007 Isis was involved in 89 new consultancy agreements. Recent consultancies have involved researchers from the Oxford University Centre for the Environment, and staff working on the social impact of science at the Oxford Internet Institute. OUC also helps identify appropriate academics to carry out TV and radio programmed research and aims to develop long-term relationships with clients from both the public and private sectors. Joint initiatives with the staff and students at the Said Business School are used to raise awareness about entrepreneurship within the University, and Isis also sponsors and participates in the annual Venture fest event, for more detail www.product-creation-secrets.com which helps to celebrate and promote enterprise and build stronger links between academics and business people.

In addition, Isis runs its own consulting business, Isis Enterprise, through which it passes on its expertise in running a technology transfer and consulting business to other institutions. Clients include Oxford Brookes University, The Carbon Trust and the Natural Environment Research Council.

Financial benefits.

As well as the satisfaction of seeing their ideas, inventions and expertise turned into actual products and services of value to society and the economy, University academics share in the financial benefits. The system is that the University claims ownership of the IP, Isis then helps the researcher to commercialize it, and finally, where successful, the researcher receives a share of royalty streams, consultancy fees, or shares in a spin out.