For Graduate Students

OICE Services for Graduate Students

Intellectual Property

As a graduate student, there are some key things you should know about intellectual property:

Issues of intellectual property and authorship should be made clear

Supervisors are responsible for informing students about university policies that govern intellectual property, and about any specific intellectual property issues that are likely to arise from their research. Even when issues are not clearly defined, it is important that students and supervisors have a discussion and reach an agreement early in their relationship regarding issues including rights of authorship, the order of authorship on multi-authored publications, and ownership of data.

Students have substantial responsibilities for managing their own graduate education

Students share in the responsibility for the goals that they successfully complete their program, and that it be of high quality. They are responsible for knowing and conforming to the various policies and procedures that may concern academic and research conduct, intellectual property, human subjects, animal welfare, health and safety, as well as degree and program requirements and timelines.

In the course of their research, graduate students may create intellectual property (IP) either on their own or in concert with others (e.g. supervisors, other students). Graduate students have certain rights to the protection of this IP, both for recognition of their role in its creation and in cases where there may be opportunities for the IP to be commercialized.

Quick Links:

Work With IndustryAre you interested in gaining experience and improving your résumé by working with industry? Contact the Office of Innovation and Community Engagement for information on industry internships and help finding a host company.

Saint Mary's students benefiting from Mitacs Accelerate Program experience

Pictures from left to right: Daniel Meagher, Tabitha Thibault and Dr. Hugo Mederios.

The Mitacs Accelerate program allows Saint Mary’s University students to test their skills in a professional environment and earn the experience they need to thrive. Four Saint Mary’s student who participating share how they benefited from their Mitacs sponsored internships.

Graduate student Tabatha Thibault gained the confidence to assert herself as an expert in her field.

“I was applying exactly what I’ve been taught for four years,” says Thibault, who recently started a second internship with Air Institutes. “It's helped me realize that I do have valuable skills and knowledge--that I have something to bring to the table.

Dr. Hugo Medeiros’s internship at Port Hawkesbury Paper helped him as a professional and as a newcomer, as he was able to practice his skills and improve his English.

“I now have work experience in Canada, which is important for a new immigrant, and a network outside of the academic setting. I have an opportunity to get a job that I don't know I would have without this internship,” says Dr. Medeiros, postdoctoral fellow.

Even though his studies are focused on geology, graduate student Daniel Meagher jumped on the opportunity to challenge himself at an internship outside of his field at Dillon Consulting.

“It was a good opportunity to get something that was out of my comfort zone and expand my options. I could look into environmental jobs now as well as mining and exploration,” says Meagher.

After his internship at Clinical Logistics, Sree Babu Nukarapu, an M.Sc. in Computing & Data Analytics grad, says his profile became more appealing to recruiters.

“It has helped me gain expertise in the Canadian market, made me a much more confident person, and it has helped me prove my passion for analytics. I was able to secure a job at an MNC in Halifax,” says Sree.

For more information about the Mitacs Accelerate program, click here.

Page Feedback