Intellectual Property

Support our mission by protecting innovative research through effective IP strategy and collaboration

Complete work that simulates life on the job. 1-2 hours and self-paced.
Stand out in your application to LifeArc. Show us you're a motivated candidate.

Why complete this Job Simulation

A risk-free way to experience work on the job with us. Practise your skills with example tasks and build your confidence to ace your applications.

Self-paced

1-2 hours

No grades

No assessments

Intermediate

Welcome to the Intellectual Property Virtual Experience Programme! We are thrilled to have you here.

We are a self-funded, non-profit medical research organisation focused on advancing early science into health solutions for patients. We partner with scientists, clinicians, and industry experts to translate promising discoveries into medical breakthroughs, particularly in areas of unmet need. Our work spans translational science, technology transfer, and strategic partnerships that accelerate innovation while keeping patient impact in mind.

During this programme, you will get the opportunity to step into the shoes of a technology transfer associate and complete tasks that replicate the work that our team does every day. You’ll learn key skills in IP risk identification, agreement analysis, stakeholder communication, and internal IP management.

We hope this programme provides a great resource for you to upskill and strengthen your resume as you explore career options and a potential career with us.

*Disclaimer:
For the purposes of this simulation, the organisation LifeArc is referred to as Judd Street Innovations. All content remains grounded in real-world practice and reflects typical responsibilities and workflows within the sector.

How it works

Complete tasks guided by pre-recorded videos and example answers from our team. No live sessions, all self-paced.
Earn a certificate and add it to your CV and LinkedIn as an extracurricular activity.
Stand out in applications. Confidently answer interview questions and explain why you’re a good fit for our team.

Skills you will learn and practice:

Critical Thinking

Document Review

Information Synthesis

Professional Communication

Risk Assessment

Scientific Writing

Strategic Analysis

Introduction from LifeArc

Tasks

Intro & Scenario

Background context and your project team

Your role

You are a technology transfer associate working with the Partnerships team.
You support researchers in protecting and managing IP related to scientific innovations, ensuring promising discoveries have a clear path to commercialisation.
You have just been asked to assist with a new case involving a diagnostic tool for early-stage cancer detection.
You are still early in your career, but this is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of IP strategy and contribute to real-world impact.

Your goal

Your primary task is to review the invention disclosure and assess the risks and protection options, drawing on insights from a patent attorney.
You will also help manage the legal and administrative steps needed to safeguard the innovation, including reviewing key agreements and communicating the next steps to the research team.

Intro & Scenario

Background context and your project team

Your role

You are a technology transfer associate working with the Partnerships team.
You support researchers in protecting and managing IP related to scientific innovations, ensuring promising discoveries have a clear path to commercialisation.
You have just been asked to assist with a new case involving a diagnostic tool for early-stage cancer detection.
You are still early in your career, but this is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of IP strategy and contribute to real-world impact.

Your goal

Your primary task is to review the invention disclosure and assess the risks and protection options, drawing on insights from a patent attorney.
You will also help manage the legal and administrative steps needed to safeguard the innovation, including reviewing key agreements and communicating the next steps to the research team.

Reviews

4.6

I really appreciated the realistic framing of the Technology Transfer Associate role. Working through the Invention Disclosure Form, interpreting patent attorney guidance, and balancing academic publication goals (like preprints) with IP novelty requirements provided excellent hands-on experience in IP strategy and stakeholder management.

Student, Volunteer State Community College

The very self directed tasks. It really puts you out of your comfort zone when this is unfamiliar, but that is the golden part of the learning process. Initially having very minimal information and understanding of how patent law works, I feel a lot more educated on the work ethic and much more excited to build a career towards intellectual property as a life sciences student.

Student, Aston University

I really appreciated how the LifeArc simulation gave me a hands-on understanding of the Technology Transfer Associate role. It was well-structured, realistic, and helped me connect scientific insight with IP strategy in a meaningful way. The tasks were engaging and showed how TTAs support innovation while protecting discoveries that could improve health outcomes.

Student, Coventry College

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