Department of Energy
The Department of Energy's resources and expertise support a mission to advance the
national,
economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation
in
support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national
nuclear weapons complex. The Department's strategic goals to achieve the mission are
made up of
five strategic themes:
To the Department of Energy, the definition of technology transfer can mean many things – technical
assistance to solve a specific problem, use of unique facilities, licensing of patents and software,
exchange of personnel, and cooperative research. The most appropriate mechanism will depend on
the objective of each partner.
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Department of Homeland Security
The Technology Transfer Program serves as the focal point for technology transfer
activities at
Department of Homeland Security. Currently, the Department operates from one centralized Office of
Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) to manage technology transfer at each of its
laboratories and throughout the Department.
The Technology Transfer Program promotes the transfer and/or exchange of technology with industry,
state and local governments, academia, and other federal agencies. The technologies developed and
evaluated within the Department can have tremendous potential for commercial applications
throughout the nation and dramatically enhance the competitiveness of individual small businesses as
well as expanding areas of exploration and cooperation for all non-federal partners.
To accomplish its mission, the Technology Transfer Program promotes research and partnerships,
evaluates, protects, markets, licenses, monitors, and manages Department inventions and other
intellectual property as mandated by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986.
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Department of the Air Force
Within the Air Force, technology transfer is accomplished in several ways. Intellectual property
and
access to scientific, engineering and technical support, including AFRL's test facilities and skilled
people, are provided through various mechanisms such as the Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement (CRADA), Education Partnership Agreement (EPA), Commercial Test
Agreement (CTA), and Patent License Agreement (PLA).
Technology transfer also consists of providing products and services. The products are those produced
through specialized manufacturing, repair, and test capabilities. The services provided include technical
assistance with manufacturing, repair, and test capabilities. These cooperative efforts result in better
products for the taxpayer and improve national economic competitiveness. CRADAs enable partners to
reduce costs by leveraging their investments during all stages of research and development, test and
evaluation.
Government resources provide private industry and academia with state-of-the-art technologies,
personnel, resources, and specialized equipment not available elsewhere. Assistance to state and
local governments establishes the Air Force as a good neighbor and saves taxpayer money. Most
importantly, technology transfer enables the Air Force to leverage its own technology investment while
working cooperatively with industry and academia to solve common problems.
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Department of the Army
For 20 years, the Congress of the United States has authorized the partnership of
federal laboratories with
domestic partners, including state and local governments, businesses, and universities. To help boost
the
growth of the United States economy, the Army has been active in successfully developing and
implementing a wide variety of programs and tools that work to ease the transition of technology from
federal laboratories to their domestic partners.
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Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the parent agency of both the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BR).
U.S. Geological Survey:
For the purpose of this document, technology transfer programs under U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) will be showcased under their parent organization, the
Department of Interior (DOI). USGS is a multi- disciplinary science organization
focused on the study of the landscape, natural resources, and natural hazards.
The technology transfer program is designed to leverage the research capabilities
of USGS scientists with the commercial development potential of the private
sector toward meeting their respective missions. It encourages the adoption, use,
and commercialization of research products through partnerships and is oriented
toward finding potential users of DOI technology. Technology transfer tools such
as Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) and patent
licenses provide incentives to commercialization and use of developed
technologies.
A USGS technology transfer handbook can be found at
http://www.usgs.gov/tech-
transfer/handbook/tech_transfer_handbook.doc.
Bureau of Reclamation:
Reclamation offers technology transfer assistance for researchers, partners,
grantees, and suppliers to:
Reclamation's Technology Transfer Program helps Reclamation researchers and
collaborators work together to develop and deploy solutions (Technology
Partnership Development), protect ideas (Intellectual Property Protection and
Licensing), and partner with the Bureau to develop patented solutions.
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Department of the Navy
Technology Transfer Mechanisms
Many types of vehicles exist for establishing
working relationships with public and private sector parties.
These include informal professional interactions, different types of contractual arrangements, and granting
of licenses.
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Department of Transportation
The goal of the Technology Transfer Program of the DOT and FAA is to transfer knowledge,
facilities,
equipment or capabilities developed by federal laboratories or agencies to the private sector. This
will
expand the United States technology base and maximize the return on investment in federally funded
research and development. The purpose of the Technology Transfer Program is to help the private sector
meet the challenges of the highly competitive global economic environment, along with providing
personnel assistance in achieving critical R&D goals or meeting objectives for underfunded mission
needs that promote safety and enhance the national transportation and aviation systems.
Other useful links to DOT technology transfer programs include:
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/ourwork/techtrns.html
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/technology/index.cfmhttp://www.its.dot.gov/tech_transfer.htm
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Department of Veterans Affairs
The goal of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to provide excellence in patient
care, veterans'
benefits and customer satisfaction. The VA and its staff strive to provide high quality, prompt and
seamless service to veterans, ensuring that they receive the optimal care they merit.
The mission of the VA Technology Transfer Program (TTP) is to serve the American public by translating
the results of worthy VA research and development discoveries into clinical practice.
These research results or technologies are in the early stages of research and require further
development before they are ready for the marketplace. The VA is currently in the process of identifying
potential companies that may be interested in licensing and/or further developing the technology
through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA).
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Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA seeks opportunities to transfer federal technologies into the marketplace, and collaborate
on
environmental research and development projects with outside entities, such as industry, consortia,
academia, trade associations, and state and local agencies. The Federal Technology Transfer Act
(FTTA) provides a mechanism for these cooperative research and development partnerships. Through
the FTTA program, federal agencies can conduct joint research with non-federal partners and protect
intellectual property that may be developed. The alliance that is formed through the FTTA program
supports and improves U.S. competitive positions worldwide, helps remove barriers to collaboration,
and encourages cooperative research and development with the goal of commercialization.
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
With the Space Act of 1958, Congress gave NASA direction for leading America’s
space program and
mandated the agency to work with U.S. industry. More than 40 years later, this partnership—NASA’s
technology transfer and commercialization program—has generated exciting new technologies in the
United States and abroad that positively impact our economy and boost our global competitiveness.
NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics
research. NASA provides industry the opportunity to partner and stimulate business investment in the
development of new markets to support NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. Businesses can work
with NASA in a variety of ways, depending on the type of business, size of the firm, or particular contract
type.
Helpful links regarding NASA technology and partnering opportunities can be found at
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/partnership/index.html.
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National Institute of Standards and Technology
The primary objective of the Office of Technology Partnerships (OTP) is to build and
sustain technology
partnering activities between the NIST laboratories and its mission-related organizations. OTP does
so
by managing various technology transfer programs; managing NIST's intellectual property; carrying out
assigned technology transfer functions under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980
and the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986; performing industrial and intergovernmental liaison
activities; and strengthening NIST-wide awareness of technology transfer options and their
implications. The office assists NIST leadership with reviewing related policies and practices, and
propagating improvements in research and development relationships throughout NIST.
OTP also manages the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program .
Sample forms can be found at http://www.nist.gov/tpo/forms/index.cfm (paste link into browser).
Additional information can be obtained by emailing otp@nist.gov.
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National Institutes of Health
The primary mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is science in pursuit
of fundamental
knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to
extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. Composed of 27 Institutes and
Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout
the world. In pursuit of its mission, NIH supports a broad spectrum of research approaches, ranging
from basic laboratory research to clinical research. This continuum of research activities creates a
synergy essential to the effective advancement of scientific knowledge.
Under the Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) of 1986 and Executive Order No. 12591, the NIH has
been mandated to encourage and facilitate collaboration among federal laboratories, state and local
governments, universities, and the private sector in order to assist in the transfer of federal technology
to the marketplace.
The NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) evaluates, protects, licenses, monitors, and manages the
wide range of NIH and FDA discoveries, inventions, and other intellectual property as mandated by the
Federal Technology Transfer Act and related legislation.
To accomplish its mission, OTT oversees patent prosecution, and negotiates and monitors
licensing
agreements. OTT performs similar functions for patenting and licensing activities for the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), another component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
For copies of model agreements:
http://www.ott.nih.gov/forms_model_agreements/forms_model_agreements.aspx.
Contact Staff Information: http://www.ott.nih.gov/contactus/contact_us.aspx and
http://www.ott.nih.gov/contactus/OTT_Staff_Directory.aspx
Other opportunities can be found through the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, an official
publication for NIH medical and behavioral research grant policies, guidelines, and funding
opportunities. It is published weekly, and users may subscribe to the weekly e-mail LISTSERV Table of
Contents (TOC) at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm.
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National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) has established a formal technology transfer
mechanism for openly sharing technologies with the external community. NSA's
scientists and engineers, along with academic and research partners, have
developed cutting-edge technologies, which have not only satisfied NSA mission
requirements, but have also served to improve the global technological leadership
of the United States. In addition, these technical advances have contributed to the
creation and improvement of many commercial products in America.
NSA has identified valuable advanced technologies in the following core areas,
which are available for sharing:
-
Advanced Computing
- Advanced Mathematics
- Communications and
Networking
- Information Processing
- Microelectronics
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U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service conducts research to develop and transfer
solutions to
agricultural problems of high national priority. It has a rich history of transferring its research
efforts to
U.S. farmers and consumers, ensuring a strong agricultural economy, and keeping America healthy
and its natural resources and environment thriving. In fact, the Federal Technology Transfer Act of
1986
greatly impacted how the federal government conducts business, allowing federal laboratories and
industry the chance to partner to further research and development and commercialize new products.
The Office of Technology Transfer facilitates and coordinates these partnerships formed around various
cooperative agreements.
Policy and legislation (copy and paste in browser) - http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/ppweb/PDF/141-
02.pdf
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