Thesis/Dissertation Embargo Policy

Theses and dissertations submitted to the Graduate School as a requirement of the student’s degree program must be submitted in digital format and be in compliance with the Guidelines for Electronic Theses and Dissertation (ETD) Submission.

Soon after degree conferral, theses and dissertations are submitted to ProQuest/UMI for cataloguing and publishing. Approximately 12 to 14 weeks after degree conferral, submissions are available to the academic community (via authentication) through the UB Libraries system and the ProQuest Thesis/Dissertation database.

When a thesis or dissertation is based wholly, or in part, on research from which an invention or discovery has resulted or may result, the thesis or dissertation may require special handling to prevent unwanted disclosure which could damage or eliminate U.S. or international patent rights, or both. These special procedures will in no way impede progress toward the degree, affect acceptance of the thesis/dissertation, or delay conferral of the degree. They are aimed solely at protecting the rights of the University and the inventor. The student must provide both timely disclosure of the invention itself through the Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR) or Roswell Park’s Office of Technology Transfer, as well as timely notification to the Graduate School of the requirement for special handling of the thesis or dissertation.

When a thesis or dissertation contains potentially patentable material, the student and the major advisor may request, with written approval of the major professor, a 3-month / 6-month / 9-month or 12-month hold (an "embargo") on the release of the document. Requests must be made in writing to the Graduate School using the Thesis/Dissertation Embargo Request Form. Approved requests will result in the thesis/dissertation being held by ProQuest for the approved embargo period. The thesis/dissertation will then be released for publishing and cataloguing after the embargo period ends. Extensions beyond the 12-month hold will be reviewed by the Graduate School on a case-by-case basis with all parties involved.

Acceptable reasons to embargo/restrict dissemination:

  • Patentable rights in the work or other issues in which disclosure may be detrimental to the rights or interests of the author.
  • The ethical need to prevent disclosure of sensitive or classified information regarding persons, institutions, technologies, etc.
  • The interest of an academic or commercial press in acquiring the rights to publish the author’s dissertation or thesis as a book.
  • Extensive content within the dissertation or thesis that is likely to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

For more information about when an embargo may be warranted, visit this website.