Strategic Planning in USDAs Office of Technology Transfer

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Strategic Planning in USDAs Office of Technology
Transfer
Meeting Research Mission, Agency Policies,
Commercialization Opportunities
R. J. Brenner, Ph.D. Assistant Administrator,
ARS, for Technology Transfer
1953-2003
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Presentation Overview

• Structure function of ARS OTT
• Internal customer service to ARS
• Serving other federal departments through
  biobased products for economic security
• New directions in strategic public / private
  partnerships

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Agricultural Research Service
Principal intramural research arm of USDA Others
with research Forest Service, APHIS, FSIS, ERS
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Office of Technology Transfer
Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing,
marketing decentralized in negotiation and
implementation of CRADAs
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Service to ARS

• Annual or bi-annual training at research
  locations on technology transfer of all
  scientists, Research Leaders by TTC, Licensing,
  Patent Advisor, Marketing
• Strategic planning with scientists for research
  partnership agreements negotiations, drafting,
  execution of CRADAs, MTAs, NDA
• Convene ca. 20 patent review committees annually
  to review invention disclosures, maintenance
  fees, foreign filings
• Patentability estimates, preparation, filing, and
  prosecution of patent applications
• Negotiate, execute, monitor license agreements
• Consultation and litigation review with USDA
  licensees who find others infringing USDA
  licensed patents

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Strategic Additions to OTT Policies Procedures
Service to ARS Scientists, Customers,
Stakeholders

• Challenges to manage a changing world of
  intellectual property, and the partnerships that
  produce it
• Addition of 2 new categories of inventions
• Biological Materials
• Allows licensing of protectable technologies
  (Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of
  2000)
• Plant Materials
• SOP tracking of decision process in ARS for
  public releases v. IP protection licensing
• Allows ARS to manage divergent policies of ARS
  and universities

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Strategic Planning Foreign CRADAs, USTR, Export
Control
Service to ARS Scientists

• Increased scrutiny to comply with Sec. 4, E.O.
  12591 (Facilitating Access to Science and
  Technology)
• Consult with USTR on foreign CRADAs
• Instituted process to comply that does NOT hinder
  CRADA development and approval process
• Compliance with Export Control, and Deemed
  Export Control regulations from Dept. of
  Commerces Bureau of Industry Security (Export
  Administration Regulations)
• Develop Decision Flow Chart for export control
  with Commerce to protect ARS scientists and USDA
  from adverse actions
• Working with Deemed Export Control (DoC, BIS) to
  develop comparable decision flow chart

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Strategic Planning A priori T2 Considerations
In Research Planning
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Strategic Planning Increasing Likelihood of
Successful T2
Partner workshops
The goal of this workshop is to prepare our
scientists to achieve effective technology
transfers in animal health research NP 103 in
the next national program cycle.
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Serving Other Agencies Through Development of
Biobased Technology
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Opportunities for New Partnerships
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Outreach Marketing Strategies

• Tradeshows meetings
• Collateral materials
• Targeted marketing
• Partnering Opportunities

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Outreach Marketing Strategies

• Economic development agencies
• FLC involvement
• National workshops

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Get the Latest!

• Animal Production Technologies
• Aquaculture
• Cattle
• Poultry
• Swine
• Other Animals
• Crop Production Technologies
• Food, Safety and Nutrition
• Biobased Technologies
• Natural Resources Technologies
• Biotechnology Technologies

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New Directions in Strategic Public / Private
Partnerships
Partner workshops
Provide training and access to resource options
to partners of USDA (e.g., CRADA, Licensees)

• SBIR
• NASVF
• Partnership intermediaries
• MEP
• Local Economic Development entities

• Small Business Development Centers
• Business school internships
• University Research Parks

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Strategic Planning Pursuit of New Authorities
to Promote Commercialization
Should federal agencies pool authorities to
create Federal Technology Accelerators?

• Enhanced Use Lease Authority
• Access to pilot plants
• Private sector-assisted conversion of
  underutilized federal research facilities
• Integrate with economic development incubators
  (community or university)
• Create tax incentives for developing technologies
  by utilizing domestic renewable resources /
  energy credits / carbon credits?

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Office of Technology Transfer 5601 Sunnyside
Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 (301)
504-6905 HTTP//OTT.ARS.USDA.GOV Richard J.
Brenner, Ph.D. Assistant Administrator