It is never too early to submit your NTR!
The best time to submit an NTR for your technology is as soon as you realize that you have something new and before you disclose it publicly. It may feel premature to report an idea or innovation before you have been able to vet it or develop a prototype, but the earlier you report it, the easier it will be for NASA to protect it.
- No need to wait until the end of the project: Even if there is still more work to do, submit the NTR.
- No need to have prototyped or proven the technology: Even if it’s just an idea, submit the NTR.
- No need to achieve a certain technology readiness level (TRL): Even if more development is needed, submit the NTR.
- No need to wait until it has been used in a NASA project: Even if that decision still needs to be made, submit the NTR.
- No need to know whether it can be patented/copyrighted: Submit the NTR (and other required paperwork) and let NASA’s patent counsel figure that out.
Even if you or someone on your project team already disclosed the work, it is still important to submit the NTR. Although you may believe that the invention can no longer be patented due to publication or use bars, you should still report it. Your discovery may still be valuable to other U.S. government agencies, industry partners, or other NASA projects. And in the case of software, it may be protected under copyright regulations. — Better late than never.
Remember:
- The sooner we know about your new technology, the better
- It is never too early to submit an NTR
- Submit the NTR before disclosing the invention publicly
- Even if you or someone on your project team already disclosed the work, submit the NTR
Still have questions? Contact us — we're here to help.
