Although forming a local chapter is not required, it is a useful vehicle to recognize and honor investigators at your institution who translate their research findings into inventions that may benefit society. A chapter also serves as a tool to celebrate leadership who foster and nurture innovation at your institution and within your local community.
Recap of the 2016 Thomas Jefferson Chapter of the NAI chapter induction ceremony
Customize Your Institution’s NAI Chapter
The NAI encourages Member Institution’s to launch chapters that are unique to their innovative initiatives. There are many ways to recognize your innovators and no single chapter event is the same.
WPI awarded license plates to chapter members who were granted licenses on their technologies
"Launching an NAI Chapter was a great thing for WPI and generated a lot of enthusiasm among our faculty. In addition to inducting members into the WPI Chapter of the NAI, we developed two awards to recognize faculty. The first highlights faculty who have received a license for their technology and the second, and highest level chapter award, is a Hall of Fame award for those who have successfully taken their patents to the marketplace. We look forward to the morale this tier system will build year after year to encourage our faculty to not only pursue patents, but also translate their patents into products, companies and jobs." —Todd S. Keiller, Director of Intellectual Property & Innovation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
At the University of South Florida, the Inventors Commons was established to honor the members of the USF Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. A brick walkway features a brick for each chapter member.
Thomas Jefferson University provided new members with eggs to symbolize the hatching of new ideas.
Stony Brook Chapter of the NAI
Stony Book University Co-Branded Logo
To request your co-branded logo, please contact the NAI.
Templates to Start a Local Chapter
Certificate of Membership Templates
The certificates are intended to be personalized by you and presented to each new member of your chapter, along with their membership lapel pin. There are two membership categories for Chapters of the NAI:
- Inventor Members: academic inventors at your institution who hold an issued U.S. patent(s). Your chapter may choose to recognize all inventors at your institution (faculty, staff, students, alumni and affiliates) or only those who have an issued patent(s) from your institution. Additional criteria for membership in your chapter is defined by your institutional representatives. Member Certificate Template
- Honorary Members: leadership and representatives of your institution and local community who have facilitated and nurtured innovation and economic development (who do not hold patents themselves). This is a great way to recognize your president, vice presidents, members of your local federal delegation etc. for their support and efforts in fostering a spirit of innovation at your institution. Honorary Member Certificate Template
Chapter Website Examples
We recommend creating a separate webpage on your institution's website for your Chapter of the NAI. It is a great place to post a list of your members, the application form to become an individual member of your chapter, and activities and news about your chapter and chapter members (examples below).
- Arizona State University
- Auburn University
- Stony Brook University
- Jackson State University Chapter Website
- Medical University of South Carolina Chapter Website
- University of Missouri - St. Louis Chapter Website
- University of South Florida Chapter Website
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute Chapter Website
Send us a link to your page if you create one as well as any press releases, pictures, news stories, etc. about your chapter, so we may share them on the national website and on social media.
For these and other templates and examples please see: NAI Chapter Guide
Florida Polytechnic University Chapter of the NAI
"The launch of our NAI chapter provided a very cohesive way of bringing faculty together, which is a vital benefit for a new institution like Florida Poly. We look forward to this group of NAI members engaging with each other to grow the chapter and seek out innovative initiatives that will benefit the faculty and students of our university." —Jeanne Viviani, Contracts and Grants Manager, Florida Polytechnic University
If you share your chapter news on social media be sure to tag Twitter handle @AcademyofInventors or tag the NAI on Facebook. We look forward to assisting you with a launch or annual event for your chapter. For additional information, please contact Lauren Maradei, NAI Program Manager.