AGENDA

 

FEDERAL LABORATORY CONSORTIUM MID-ATLANTIC 2005 REGIONAL MEETING
Click the each presenter's name for corresponding Power Point presentation        Get Power Point Viewer FREE

 

Rocky Gap Resort, Cumberland, MD    September 13-15, 2005

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

 

2:00 – 5:00PM

Training

David Spevack, “Obtaining a Marketable Invention Disclosure”

Paul Fritz, NAWC, “Patent Licensing Agreements”

 

6:00 - 9:00                  

Registration

Reception sponsored by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation

 

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

 

6:30 AM - 8:00             Registration and Continental Breakfast

7:30 –7:50                   Introduction, Dr. J. Scott Deiter, NSWC

7:50 – 8:50                  Panel Session: Technology Transfer Strategic Planning, Agency View, John Emond, Chair, NASA, Frank Schowengerdt, NASA, Richard J. Brenner, USDA, ARS, Terry Lynch, NIST

8:50 – 9:20                  Office of Naval Research Investment Strategy, Lynn Torres, ONR

9:20 – 9:50                  DTTOs: Turn Licensing Activity into T2 Agreements

Blake Sajonia and Christina Frain, TRSG, Inc.

 9:50 – 10:10               Break

10:10 – 11:40              Panel Session:  Outreach: The Challenge of Communication for Technology Transfer, Krishna (Balki) Balakrishnan, Chair, NIH, Janelle Turner, NASA, Tara Weaver-Missick, USDA-ARS, Pam Porter, NSA

11:40 – 12:00              UTEK Technology Transfer Services, Alon Vogel, UTEK Corporation

12:00 – 1:30 PM          Lunch

Luncheon Presentation: NASA’s Vision and Impact, Dr. Roger Crouch, Astronaut and Lead for Higher Education for NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and Senior Scientist for the International Space Station

1:30 –3:30                   Panel Session: Technology Transfer Capacity Building Efforts

Developing Countries and its Impact on Global Health & Agriculture, Chair: Dr. Luis A. Salicrup, NIH, Eileen Herrera, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Lenka Fedorkova, NIH, Sipho Mtsweni, Council for Scientific Industrial Research, Scott M. Smouse, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Luis Salicrup, NIH

3:30 – 3:50                  Break

 

3:50 – 5:30                  Panel Session:  Evolution of University Technology Commercialization: Lessons for Federal Laboratory Technology Managers, Brian Darmody, Chair, UMD, Carolyn E. Green, Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Jill A. Tarzian Sorensen, Johns Hopkins University, Frederick Provorny, Law School, UMD, Baltimore

5:30 – 6:00                  Recovery Period     

6:00 – 8:00                  Dinner -- Hot Technologies Contest

 

Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

6:45 AM - 7:45             Breakfast

7:45 – 8:05                  Accelerating the Commercialization of Research Technologies at the University of Illinois, Shalini Dewan, University of Illinois

8:05-8:25                     Implementation of a Royalty Compliance Program, Karen H. Wang and Judy Ann Byrd, Intellectual Property Management & Finance

8:25-9:00                     “Elevator Speech” Session, Chair: Steve Fritz, TEDCO

10 minutes - Anthony Breitzman, 1790 Analytics

5 minutes - Susan Evatt, Ben Franklin Technology Partnership

                                    5 minutes – Joanne Brown, Smart States

5 minutes - Margaret Brautigam, DTIC

10 minutes – Robert Barrett, WVHTC

9:00 – 9:30                  Business Realities of Technology Transition, Dan Pitkin, NIST

9:30 – 9:50                  Educational Partnership Agreement for Virginia Demonstration Project, Lorraine Flanders, Naval Surface Warfare Center

9:50 – 10:10                Break

10:10 – 10:30              DOD Processes for Moving Technologies to First Responders

Susan Zelicoff, FIRSTLINK, University of Pittsburgh

10:30-12:00                 Panel Session:  How States Leverage Technology Transfer to Encourage Economic Development, Ronald W. Kaese, Chair, TEDCO,

Jack Gido, PennTap, Joseph Allen, WVHTF, Dan Mills, CIT

12:00 – 1:30 PM       Lunch -- Awards Presentations

1:30 – 2:30                  Panel Session: Government Inventor Ethics and Conflict of Interest Issues in Commercializing Government Inventions, Chair: Terry Lynch, NIST, Patricia Lake, National Institute of Diabetes and Diagnostic Kidney Disease, Richard J. Brenner, USDA, ARS

2:30 – 3:00                  Court Treatment of Technology Transfer and Licensing Issues, Richard Gilly, Fish & Richardson

3:00 – 3:20                  University/Government Teams for Education Spinning Off a New Company, Lawrence Aronhime, Johns Hopkins University and Benjamin Gibbs, Baltimore Shipping Technologies LLC.

3:20 – 4:20                  Panel Session: Technology Transfer Strategic Planning, Lab View,

John Emond, Chair, NASA, Laurie Arrants, Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, NIH, Sharon Borland, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Charles Schlagel, Naval Medical Research Center

4:20 – 4:25                  Wrap Up, J. Scott Deiter, NSWC

 

 


 

 

AGENDA WITH ABSTRACTS

 

FEDERAL LABORATORY CONSORTIUM MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL MEETING

 

Rocky Gap Resort, Cumberland, MD

 

September 13-15, 2005

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

 

2:00 – 5:00PM

Training

David Spevack, “Obtaining a Marketable Invention Disclosure”

Learn the critical mindset, issues and procedures for making your inventions marketable.

 

Paul Fritz, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, “Patent Licensing Agreements”

This presentation describes the history, process and procedure utilized in achieving success, including lessons learned in introducing new and innovative methodologies, techniques, and approaches in transferring federal laboratory technology to the private sector.

 

6:00 - 9:00                

Registration

Reception sponsored by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation

 

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

 

6:30 AM - 8:00                     

Registration and Continental Breakfast

 

7:30 –7:50                            

Introduction

Dr. J. Scott Deiter, Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, and

FLC Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator

 

7:50 – 8:50                           

Panel Session: Technology Transfer Strategic Planning, Agency View

Chair:  John Emond, Interagency Collaboration Coordinator, Innovative Partnership Program Office, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA

Many federal agencies have “roadmaps” or other strategic analyses that foster comprehensive planning and provide guidance on the most effective near, mid and long term efforts for the agency to achieve its goals, both mandated and internally derived.  These goals take into account changing national priorities, budget resources that wax and wane, and emerging technologies.  As federal agencies are also mandated to carry out technology transfer, the process of disseminating research and technology to external communities (academia, other government agencies, industry) as well as making use of external community research and technology development advances for agency objectives, underscores the importance of technology transfer to also be viewed as proactive, not reactive,, with its own strategic planning approaches.  The two panels of federal agency representatives will examine technology transfer from a viewpoint of strategic planning, including near/mid/long term objective identification, metrics development and analysis to measure progress against expectations.

  • Frank Schowengerdt, Director, Innovation Partnership Program Office, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA

NASA’s exploration mandate is ambitious both in scope and in the resources required, to complete the International Space Station, return to the Moon, and undertake human exploration of Mars.  This monumental task will be achieved through a number of efforts including strategic planning to attain and sustain support from key NASA stakeholders (Congress, the Administration, professional societies, general public), and to ensure the exploration journey is made affordable in part through leveraged partnerships with academia, other government agencies, and the private sector.  This presentation will highlight the role that strategic planning and partnership development plays in supporting NASA’s mission goals while advancing the objectives of NASA’s mission partners.

  • Richard J. Brenner, Assistant Administrator of ARS for Technology Transfer, USDA, Agricultural Research Service

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts research on approximately 3,000 projects at over 100 locations on 22 broad national programs.  Many research projects are conducted in cooperation with universities (co-locations of ARS laboratories) and private sector corporations.  ARS has been delegated authority by the Secretary of Agriculture to administer the patenting program for ARS and the patent license programs for all intramural research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  ARS’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) has the responsibility for protecting intellectual property, developing strategic partnerships with outside organizations, and performing other appropriate activities that effectively transfer ARS technologies to the marketplace.  Technology transfer is complicated by a number of issues including low profit margins in agriculture, globalization of companies and strong international competition, controversies related to public acceptance of genetically modified foods as safe, diminishing research resources for the public sector, and conflicting policies reflected in regional (university) and national economic mandates.  This presentation will highlight several components of the strategic planning for USDA technology transfer focusing on (1) internal customer service to ARS scientists and program managers, (2) broadening the technology transfer activities to include other USDA agencies, (3) enhancing opportunities to serve other federal agencies through development of biobased products for economic security, (4) and new directions in strategic public / private partnerships to enhance state and national economic development.

  • Terry Lynch, Licensing/CRADA Officer, National Institute of Standards & Technology

NIST is an unusual federal agency in that its primary mission has always
been to support, and work closely with, U.S. industry.  A direct result of
the mission is that the planning, research, and transfer of NIST of
intramural science and technology take place in close collaboration with
U.S. industry and standards organizations.  Strategic planning for
technology transfer is not a stand alone activity to be rationalized with
other strategic planning activities, but is rather and automatic, integral
component of all Laboratory, division, group and individual strategic and
performance plans.

 

8:50 – 9:20

Office of Naval Research Investment Strategy

Lynn Torres, Head, Industrial & Corporate Programs Department, Office of Naval

Research

An Overview of S&T and R&D Portfolio Opportunities at ONR

 

9:20 – 9:50

DTTOs: Turn Licensing Activity into T2 Agreements

Blake Sajonia, President, and Christina Frain, VP Marketing, TRSG, Inc.

Based on the concept of an Op Order, a Discrete Technology Transfer Objective (DTTO) is a tool and a method that helps a tech transfer team clearly define goals within day-to-day activities, and thereby increase the odds of closing agreements. DTTOs are easy to implement, simple to use, completely adaptable, and proven effective. No special software is required. Learn how to add DTTOs to your office tool kit. 

 

 9:50 – 10:10                        

Break

 

10:10 – 11:40                                   

Panel Session:  Outreach: The Challenge of Communication for Technology Transfer

Chair:  Krishna (Balki) Balakrishnan, Marketing Group Leader NIH Office of Technology Transfer              

The federal government has a wide diversity of agencies: in terms of mission, infrastructure and human resource capabilities, size of agency (which includes the size of its workforce), etc.  Despite this wide variance in agency makeup and objective, all agencies share some common goals.  One of the most consistent goals of federal agencies (in fact, a goal for organizations in general) is to be responsive to the needs and concerns of its stakeholders.  For federal agencies, there are several stakeholders: legislative and executive branches of government, professional associations affiliated with a given agency’s mission, and the general public.  The outreach panel will discuss the importance of outreach to these stakeholder communities in a time of shifting federal priorities, budget constraints, technology/communication advances, and other factors that may aid or challenge an agency’s efforts to communicate what the agency does, why it is done, and how such efforts may benefit the stakeholder including benefits to the general public.

  • Janelle Turner, Outreach Coordinator, Innovation Partnerships Program Office, NASA
  • Tara Weaver-Missick, Director of Marketing, USDA-ARS

Outreach & Communication: Challenges in Technology Transfer.  This is an overview of the Agricultural Research Service technology transfer marketing efforts, information management challenges, technology alerts, changing priorities, branding and marketing tips.

  • Pam Porter, Director, Office of Research and Technology Applications, National Security Agency

Outreach: The Challenge of Communications for Technology Transfer.  This presentation covers NSA’s domestic technology transfer program, its mission, challenges, education, communications and process for qualifying partners.

 

11:40 – 12:00                                   

UTEK Technology Transfer Services

Alon Vogel, J.D., Vice President, UTEK Corporation

UTEK facilitates the transfer of innovative technologies from federal research laboratories and universities while allowing research institutions to receive 100% of the royalties.  Our unique process is called U2B®.  UTEK identifies and assists in the acquisition of external technologies for clients, and is prepared to finance the acquisition of such technologies on behalf of commercial clients in exchange for their equity.  UTEK leverages its relationships with hundreds of research institutions worldwide to transfer proprietary technologies with potential commercial applications to companies seeking product differentiation resulting in a strategic marketplace advantage.

 

12:00 – 1:30 PM                  

Lunch

Luncheon Presentation: NASA’s Vision and Impact

Dr. Roger Crouch, Astronaut and Lead for Higher Education for NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and Senior Scientist for the International Space Station

Dr. Roger Crouch will present NASA’s exploration vision.  He will also show how technology drivers and requirements of robotic and human exploration goals will have a bearing on technology development/terrestrial benefits on earth.

 

1:30 –3:30    

Panel Session: Technology Transfer Capacity Building Efforts in Developing Countries and its Impact on Global Health & Agriculture

Chair: Dr. Luis A. Salicrup, Senior Advisor for International Activities, Office of the Director/Office of Technology Transfer, NIH

Institutions in developing countries are beginning to increasingly become more involved in R&D and technology transfer activities of all types, including protection of intellectual property,  licensing, public-private partnerships and economic development.  However, the numbers of individuals located in these countries with training in technology transfer remains low.   A panel of speakers from U.S. Government agencies and a non-profit organization will discuss 1. The training needs in developing countries, potential impact on the U.S., and how organizations in the U.S. and abroad can assist in capacity building efforts related to health & agriculture research & technology, 2. Training programs & activities that are currently underway, 3. Possible domestic programs/models that have replication potential abroad, 4) Lessons learned and next steps.

  • Eileen Herrera, International Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Look through this window on ARS USDA activities in the international arena, including cooperative international research, visits, correspondence, agreements, meetings and other information on international activities.  International partnerships in agricultural research support capacity development in countries from Russia to Nigeria.

  • Lenka Fedorkova, NIH

Building Fellowships: This is a presentation of the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program and how it is used in the NIH Office of Technology Transfer to further international objectives.

  • Sipho Mtsweni, Council for Scientific Industrial Research 

This is a discussion of South Africa’s Council for Science & Industrial Research and its role in capacity building in 24 African countries.

  • Scott M. Smouse, International Coordination Team Leader, National Energy Technology Laboratory, DOE

International Energy & Environmental Technology Transfer Activities:  A Remarkable History of Cooperation in India.  For more than 20 years, DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory has worked collaboratively with the U.S. Agency for International Development in India to showcase U.S. energy and environmental technologies, products, and services to enable better use of the country's indigenous coal and biomass resources and to demonstrate new fossil energy technologies for clean, efficient power generation. This successful relationship has strengthened the capabilities of a number of governmental, private sector, and academic institutions within India to meet the present and future challenges generating adequate electricity to sustain the country's rapid economic development.  These achievements have been grounded in open cross-cultural communication, mutually shared hard work, and a burning desire for success.

 

3:30 – 3:50                           

Break

 

3:50 – 5:30
Panel Session:  Evolution of University Technology Commercialization: Lessons for Federal Laboratory Technology Managers
Chair: Brian Darmody, Associate VP of R&D & Economic Development, U of Maryland
Since passage of the Bayh-Dole Act twenty-five years ago, universities have reformed public laws, created new organizations, and developed venture-related institutional strategies to better exploit university-owned technology and broaden outreach to the private sector. Lessons from the academic world, as well as parallel strategies for implementation by federal laboratories, will be examined.

  • Carolyn E. Green, Director, Office of Enterprise Development, Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
  • Jill A. Tarzian Sorensen, Executive Director, Licensing & Technology Development, Johns Hopkins University
  • Frederick Provorny, Visiting Law School Professor, University of Maryland School of Law and Director, Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center

The Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center (“MIPLRC”) was established to provide free intellectual property and business legal services to emerging technology companies in Maryland and those outside the state that wish to establish a presence here.  Assisting Federal research facilities to find commercial applications for their technologies and providing legal and other professional assistance to those companies that wish to bring these applications to market is crucial to the economic future of Maryland and other states.  Located in technology incubators throughout Maryland and affiliating with schools of business, engineering, and other relevant disciplines, MIPLRC is seeking to create a model for trans-disciplinary collaboration that can help Federal facilities identify commercial opportunities, assess market potential, and work collaboratively to assist licensees or spin-off companies to proceed in a strategic fashion toward commercialization.

 

5:30 – 6:00                           

Recovery Period

                                                           

6:00 – 8:00                           

Dinner

Hot Technologies Contest

 

Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

6:45 AM - 7:45                     

Continental Breakfast

 

7:45 – 8:05

Accelerating the Commercialization of Research Technologies at the University of Illinois
Shalini Dewan, Technology Commercialization and Transfer Specialist, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois
Using both a recently launched web based technology transfer tool and working in tandem with the Office of Technology Management, researchers are accelerating their technologies into targeted Government needs.

8:05-8:25

Implementation of a Royalty Compliance Program

Karen H. Wang, Sr. Vice President and Judy Ann Byrd, Vice President, Intellectual Property Management & Finance (IPM&F)

After the license agreement is signed, how can you be certain that you’re organization is collecting all the revenues its due? This presentation will outline the steps to implement a royalty compliance program – from program creation to actual implementation – that any size organization can adopt. Examples of recent successes will also be discussed.

 

8:25-9:00

“Elevator Speech” Session

Chair: Steve Fritz, TEDCO: the Maryland Technology Development Corporation

  • 10 minutes - 1790 Analytics

Anthony Breitzman, Principal and Director of Research.  For many years, patent citation analysis has been used as a quantitative tool for evaluation.  In recent years, citation linkages have been found to be useful in technology transfer and licensing.  At its most basic, citations can be used to find which patents within a portfolio might be most attractive to other organizations, and which organizations might be most interested in a group's technology.  More recently, 1790 Analytics has developed tools for more difficult problems within the licensing community, such as: Which of my patents might be useful outside of my core industry/technology?  Are there potential licensees that work in similar technologies, but do not directly cite my patents?  Who might be interested in licensing my recent technology, which has not yet had an opportunity to be cited in later patents?  This talk will discuss the use of citation analysis, the 1790 N-Degree analysis technique, and a number of interesting projects that have used citation analysis successfully in technology transfer.

 

  • 5 minutes - Regional Partnerships for Technology Commercialization

Susan Evatt, Senior Director, Technology Commercialization Services, Ben Franklin Technology Partnership

An overview of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners / Southeastern PA approach to technology led economic development, with lessons learned and examples of evolving regional partnerships for technology commercialization.  Unlike many traditional tech transfer models, BFTP's approach is company-centric, focusing on company client relationship development, needs assessment and identification of resources: capital and expertise needed for growth.  By developing resource networks, the organization fosters dynamic relationships among companies, institutional and private investors, research institutions and the university community.

  • 5 minutes Smart States

Joanne Brown

  • 5 minutes - DDR&E's R&E Portal

Margaret Brautigam, Technical Information Specialist, DTIC

The DTIC R&E Portal is introduced as and entryway to DOD's S&T business.  All DOD / DOD Contractors are invited to register for the R&E Portal.  All FLC members are to partner with DDR&E.

  • 10 minutesDoD TechMatch

Robert Barrett, West Virginia High Technology Foundation

DoD TechMatch, a Department of Defense (DoD) Partnership Intermediary, is a web-based information system designed to provide business opportunities to anyone interested in working with the DoD.  As a free service, users can register on DoD TechMatch where they select keywords that match their areas of interest, along with the types of information they wish to receive, such as opportunities from FedBizOpps and Grants.gov.  Matching opportunities are pushed to you every business day via e-mail, so you spend less time looking.  Small businesses can benefit from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, both of which can be found on DoD TechMatch and pushed to you upon their release.  SBIR solicitations come out quarterly, and can be excellent funding opportunities for small businesses.  STTR solicitations are released annually the first of February and are geared for small businesses who work directly with researchers at universities and other research institutions.  Along with these business opportunities, you can find DoD patents available for licensing for use in the commercial market.  DoD TechMatch provides a listing of R&D test facilities located at DoD laboratories all across the country, as well as calendar events, success stories and important resources and related links.

 

9:00 – 9:30

The Business Realities of Technology Transition

Dan Pitkin, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The ultimate challenge to the entire technology transition process is achieving business viability as demonstrated by market acceptance and customer purchase and use of new products.  The business value proposition is the final determinant for successful transition of new technologies, so early understanding and focus on this critical factor is essential.  PI's, ORTAs, T2 professionals, Partnership Intermediaries, small manufacturers, and MEP field agents all play key roles in transitioning technologies to new products for target markets and customers, under business conditions that favor product acceptance, sales growth and profitability throughout the value chain.

 

9:30 – 9:50

Educational Partnership Agreement for Virginia Demonstration Project

Lorraine Flanders, Manager, Office of Research and Technology Applications, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division

This program is between the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division and Stafford County, Virginia Schools.  The Virginia Demonstration Project is part of N-STAR (Naval Science and Technology for America’s Readiness), a science and technology workforce development program that is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.  N-STAR aims to increase the number of students who earn university degrees in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Believing that interesting students in the study of these disciplines starts at an early age, the Virginia Demonstration Project was begun in 2004 to give the seventh-grade science and mathematics students in the Stafford County Public Schools a supplementary experience focused on how science and mathematics are used in the work which is being conducted at NSWC Dahlgren. The plan is to expand this program into other counties and states in the coming years.

 

9:50 – 10:10

Break

 

10:10 – 10:30                                   

DOD Processes for Moving Technologies to First Responders

Susan Zelicoff, FIRSTLINK, Department of Defense Center of Excellence for First Responders, located at the University of Pittsburgh

This presentation shows how FIRSTLINK supports PL 107-314 Title 14 on Homeland Security

 

10:30-12:00

Panel Session:  How States Leverage Technology Transfer to Encourage Economic Development

Chair: Ronald W. Kaese, Senior Program Manager, Federal Lab Partnerships, TEDCO: the Maryland Technology Development Corporation Four states discuss their approach to economic development through technology transfer from university and government laboratories. The discussion will cover the roles of the technology originator, the R&D organization, the entrepreneur, economic development organizations, service providers, and the venture capital investors.

  • Jack Gido, Director, Economic and Workforce Development, Pennsylvania State University

This presentation will cover two Pennsylvania programs that support the panel topic.  Keystone Innovation Zones are designed to encourage the Commonwealth’s research and development efforts, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurship through fostering collaboration between institutions of higher education, economic development organizations, communities and businesses.  Pennsylvania’s Innovation Partnership is a consortium of economic development and business assistance organizations that help companies secure federal funding to develop and commercialize technology with an emphasis on SBIR/STTR opportunities.  The presentation will describe these programs and give examples of their implementation.

  • Joseph Allen, Vice President and General Manager, Intellectual Property Management Group, West Virginia High Technology Consortium

The state of West Virginia is struggling to diversify its economy from its traditional reliance on extraction industries (coal, steel, timber).  The Intellectual Property Management Group (IPMG) located in Wheeling, WV, which is a department of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, assists the Department of Veterans Affairs, EPA, the Department of Homeland Security and others to bring new technologies to market.  Passive methods of technology transfer do not work well in rural states like West Virginia.  This talk will present a more aggressive approach for finding partner companies in “have not” states.

  • Dan Mills, Vice President Regional Operations, Center for Innovative Technologies

How Virginia Leverages Technology Transfer to Encourage Economic Development: Presentation will review the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) field staff services to early stage technology businesses and associated regional economic development projects.  Past technology transfers to clients will be outlined and present technology transfer methods regarded as essential will be highlighted.  FY05 economic impacts resulting from this work will be noted.    

  • Ronald W. Kaese, Senior Program Manager, Federal Lab Partnerships, TEDCO: the Maryland Technology Development Corporation The Maryland Technology

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) was created by the Maryland State legislature in 1998. TEDCO’s mission is to foster the development of a technology economy throughout Maryland. TEDCO focuses on seed stage companies working in collaboration with public labs in Maryland. Our flagship programs are the Maryland Technology Development Fund (MTTF) and the University Technology Development Fund. TEDCO also manages federal facility programs modeled after the MTTF. These programs are tailored to meet each facility’s needs: NAVAIR Technology Commercialization Initiative, Aberdeen Technology Transfer Initiative, and Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative.  This presentation provides overviews and performance metrics.

 

12:00 – 1:30 PM                  

Lunch

            Awards Presentations

 

1:30 – 2:30   

Panel Session: Government Inventor Ethics and Conflict of Interest Issues in Commercializing Government Inventions

Chair: Terry Lynch, Licensing/CRADA Officer, National Institute of Standards & Technology

This session will look at how different agencies are addressing tech transfer -related ethical issues.  Panelists will address grass roots situations they have encountered and how/if they were resolved.  It is intended that the session be highly interactive.  

  • Richard J. Brenner, Assistant Administrator, Assistant Administrator of ARS for Technology Transfer, USDA, Agricultural Research Service

Within the federal agriculture research community, ethics issues have become increasingly complex over the past several years.  Recruitment of scientists from industry and entrepreneurial startup firms associated with universities has required a heightened vigilance and the need to develop a number of approaches to remedy conflicts of interest.  Furthermore, many of the 100 ARS research sites are co-located at universities and many of the federal scientists have adjunct faculty status.  Expectations of universities vary, and in some instances create substantial ethical issues.  This presentation will cover (1) examples of issues and resolutions pertaining to existing IP portfolios of new federal employees, (2) the processes used in ARS to evaluate conflicts of interest for scientists engaged in CRADA research with examples of fully utilizing research expertise while managing conflicts, and (3) the gray area between technology transfer and consulting activities.

 

  • Patricia Lake, National Institute of Diabetes and Diagnostic Kidney Disease

 

2:30 – 3:00

Court Treatment of Technology Transfer and Licensing Issues

Richard Gilly, Principal, Intellectual Property & Related Litigation, Fish & Richardson

Technology transfer, licensing, and ownership issues under the Bayh-Dole Act continue to be resolved by the courts.  What lessons can be drawn from recent court decisions, and how can strategies and agreements be structured to avoid disputes--or to increase the chances of a favorable resolution in the event of a dispute?

 

3:00 – 3:20

University/Government Teams for Education Spinning Off a New Company

Lawrence Aronhime, Carey Program in Entrepreneurship and Management, Center for Leadership Education, Johns Hopkins University and Benjamin Gibbs, Baltimore Shipping Technologies LLC.

We describe the growing cooperation between the Center for Leadership Education at the Johns Hopkins University and the Office of Tech Transfer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division.  The purpose of these interactions is to provide entrepreneurial opportunities for undergraduate students while developing a framework whereby technologies emanating from Indian Head may be commercialized.  We further describe the successful formation of Baltimore Shipping Technologies LLC by a group of students, their successful application to license a technology from Indian Head, and their subsequent attempts to commercialize the technology.

 

3:20 – 4:20   

Panel Session: Technology Transfer Strategic Planning, Lab View

Chair:  John Emond, Collaboration Coordinator, Innovative Partnership Program Office, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA

This session will mirror the Strategic Planning Session that started the program yesterday, except it will derive from the perspective of the labs instead of the agency top-down view.

  • Laurie Arrants, Technology Development Administrator, Office of Science Director, Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, NIH

Strategic planning is not simply an agency only, top down directional guide and resource allocation tool.  If done properly, the strategic plan is a tool for every level of an organization to have input, to initiate and clarify directives, and to reconcile objectives with resources. 

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is the primary neuroscience Institute (Laboratory) whose mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease—a burden borne by every age group and every segment of society worldwide.  To accomplish this goal the NINDS supports and conducts research, both basic and clinical, on the normal and diseased nervous system, fosters the training of investigators in the basic and clinical neurosciences, and seeks better understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency comprised of 27 independent Institutes and Centers, most housed in the Washington/Baltimore region.  At the Agency level, the NIH Roadmap (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/index.asp ) identifies the most compelling medical research opportunities in three main areas: new pathways to discovery, research teams of the future, and re-engineering the clinical research enterprise. The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research reinforces ongoing NIH efforts to increase collaborative research and information-sharing among the 14 NIH Institutes and Centers that conduct or support research on the brain and nervous system (www.neuroscience.nih.gov/ ).

A technology transfer program cannot be all things to all people nor should it be today what it was yesterday since the markets and politics change frequently.  So now is the time to put your strategic plan on paper, distribute it, live by it, and keep it as a living document since “Forever is composed of Nows” ( Emily Dickinson). 

  • Sharon Borland, Office of Technology Transfer and Outreach, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

The Engineer Research Development Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers was formed in 1999 to consolidate the command and support functions of seven distinct laboratories scattered across four geographic sites. The role of the ERDC Technology Transfer Office as it relates to the overall USACE and ERDC strategic goals will be presented. The technology transfer function was transformed in 2001 into a centralized function to support the ERDC. This organization change has resulted in improved abilities to support the ERDC strategic goals.  In addition, the ERDC implements a technology transfer plan that supports the Army and DOD strategies for technology commercialization. I will highlight some successes of technology partnering in support of agency strategic goals.

  • Charles Schlagel, Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Naval Medical Research Center

The intent of Congress has essentially remained the same for many years:  through licensing and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) industry can gain access to DoD technologies and further develop them into commercial products from which economies of scale can be realized, resulting in lower cost DoD components for military applications.  How well we as ORTAs do that depends, in large part, on how well we have done our Strategic Planning.  But, unless we have paid attention to the long-range plans of our Headquarters and interpolated technology transfer into their strategic plans, we are doomed to failure.  This afternoon we will discuss the interpolation of strategic planning at the lab with those of our headquarter organizations.

 

4:20 – 4:25    Wrap Up

Dr. J. Scott Deiter, Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head, & FLC Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator