Response to the Consultation Paper on ‘Research Commercialisation IP Framework’

Download: Response to the Consultation Paper on ‘Research Commercialisation IP Framework’

CAPA maintains our position that academic curiosity is fundamental to directing the graduate research experience. We acknowledge there is ‘no such thing as a free meal’, and where possible, the pursuit for new knowledge should be translated to benefit the communities and businesses. Key features of our address will be reflected in this response as follows:

  • Research students are not classified as employees, a consistent reminder that has been used to defend why PhD stipends are well below the minimum wage. The distinction between student and employment status needs to be acknowledged. Students should be rewarded a fair proportion of IP in a research partnership arrangement.
  • The development, management and protection of IP addressed in this framework should include research students as relevant partners/co-founders in any research collaboration.
  • This framework will help establish the foundations for collaborating and encourage participation between partners (industry, universities and research students).