Invention Disclosure and Certification
Any invention made by a VA employee including, WOCs and IPAs, must be disclosed to VA, no matter how the invention came into being. VA inventors must each submit an Invention Certification statement for each invention they contribute to. The Invention Certification will be considered in determining whether the government is entitled to an interest in the invention.
Invention Disclosures and VA Certifications should be submitted electronically using the VA TTP Sophia Online Portal. First time users may create an account by logging in with a VA PIV card (SSOi login option) or by selecting "Login using VA SSOe" for access from outside the VA network, selecting Login.gov or ID.me option, and following the prompts. If you have trouble creating an account, contact vattpsophia@va.gov.
- Invention Disclosure Complete a VA Invention Disclosure form or upload an affiliate invention disclosure electronically through the VA Sophia online portal.
- After logging into the database, select "Disclosure Submission" from the "Tasks" window on the homepage
- Be sure to list all known potential inventors
- Please Note: If VA has already received one affiliate form or VA Invention Disclosure, whether from another institution or from one of several co-inventors, it typically is not necessary for anyone to submit an additional VA Invention Disclosure for the same invention.
- Invention Certification Each VA employee who contributed to the conception or reduction to practice of an invention must complete a VA Invention Certification electronically through the VA Sophia online portal.
- After logging into the database, select "Invention Certification Form" from the "Tasks" window on the homepage
- Complete the form as instructed, referencing the VA ID number for your invention (a “VA ID” reference number for the invention will be provided to you in an email from VA TTP shortly after an invention is disclosed to VA. Once your Sophia account has been verified by TTP, you will be able to look up the VA ID number and additional information for all your VA invention disclosures).
