Transcript Document

Principals of
Technology Transfer
James A. Poulos, III
Technology Transfer Coordinator
Office Technology Transfer
Beltsville, MD
Grotto March 21, 2011
USDA Agencies
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Forest Service (FS)
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
National Agricultural Library (NAL)
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
National Institute of Food and Agricultural (NIFA)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Rural Development (RD)
ARS/OTT manages the patenting and licensing of inventions made by USDA scientists.
OTT has delegated authority to make such decisions for all of USDA.
ARS Mission
To conduct research to develop & transfer solutions
to agricultural problems of high national priority and
provide information access and dissemination to:
 ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural products
 assess the nutritional needs of Americans
 sustain a competitive agricultural economy
 enhance the natural resource base and the environment
 provide economic opportunities for rural citizens,
communities, and society as a whole
ARS Research Priorities
1) Conserve and restore Agricultural and
Water Resources
2) Help America promote agricultural
production and biotechnology exports while
ensuring food nutrition (health) and safety
(security)
3) Assess the nutritional needs of America
4) Agriculture, feed stock to fuel America
5) A sustainable competitive Ag economy
Richard Brenner
Marketing
Assistant Administrator (AA)
Vacant AA
Robert Griesbach
Marketing Specialist
Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA)
Vacant
Technology Transfer
Coordinator Staff
Vic Chavez DAA
NAA, Tech Tran Coordinator
Marketing Technician
Dolores Shilkitus
Natasha Snuggs
Tech Tran Assistant
Marketing Assistant
Executive Support Staff
James Poulos DAA
BA, Tech Tran Coordinator
Kate Baker DAA
CRADA
Thomas Moreland
Management Analyst
DAA
Program Analyst
Melissa Repoza
Paula Reed
Program Support Asst.
Executive Asst
Patent Staff
Licensing Staff
Gail Poulos AA
Supervisory Patent Advisor (SAA)
June Blalock AA
Tech Licensing Coordinator
Brian Nakanishi
Licensing Specialist
Peoria, IL
Albert Tsui
Beltsville, MD
Byron Stover
Diana Tucker
Patent Advisor (MWA & NPA)
Patent Advisor
(BA, ERRC & Chemical)
Licensing Specialist
Randy Deck
Evelyn Rabin
Patent Advisor (SPA & MWA)
(NAA, Patent Advisor
SA, & Biotech)
Vacant
Licensing Specialist
John Gaudet
Licensing Specialist
Sheri Whitehurst
Legal Instruments
Examiner
Foreign Patent Specialist
Albany, CA
Howard Owens
Carla Boettinger
Patent Advisor (PWA)
Program Analyst
Elizabeth Sampson
Deborah Penot
Gernard Little
Patent Advisor (PWA)
Legal Instruments
Examiner
Sonya Domingo
Kim Melton
Legal Instruments Examiner
Licensing Assistant
James
McMurtrey
Licensing Assistant
Vacant
Patent Assistant
Robert Jones
Patent Advisor
(SAA)
Robin McCormick
Legal Instruments
Examiner
Kelli Gantt
Patent Assistant
Kim Garner
Tech Tran Assistant
Bryan Kaphammer DAA
NPA/SPA, Tech Tran Coordinator
Tara Marostica
Tech Tran Assistant
Don Nordlund
DAA
SAA Tech Tran Coordinator
Jason Bray
Tech Tran Assistant
David Nicholson DAA
PWA, Tech Tran Coordinator
Vacant
Assoc. Tech Tran Coord.
Kristin Kimball
Tech Tran Assistant
Thomas Valco DAA
MSA Tech Tran Coordinator; Cotton
Joe Lipovsky
SRRC, Assoc. Tech Tran Coord.
Annetta Ebelhar
Tech Tran Assistant
Renee Wagner DAA
MWA, Tech Tran Coordinator
Babette Davis
Tech Tran Assistant
5
Historic ARS Contributions
Remarkable discoveries
• ARS Scientist Dr. Theodore Diener working in
Beltsville, Maryland discovered the viroid, a singledstranded, circular RNA molecule.
• Robert W. Holley discovered a class of low molecular
ribonucleic acids -transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs).
These are carriers for amino acids during protein
synthesis.
• Robert Davis discovered spiroplasmas, a previously
unrecognized life form. A form of bacteria without cell
walls, spiroplasmas cause diseases of crop plants
and of insects including honey bees and are
suspected in some human maladies. He also
discovered pathogens against this life form.
Historic ARS Contributions
creation of industries
• USDA botanist Frederick Coville started the world’s
first successful blueberry research program.
Blueberries are the second most popular berry in the
United States. A multi-million dollar industry
•
USDA Participated in restoring the flavor and aroma
lost during vacuum evaporation of concentrated
orange juice. This a multi-billion dollar industry.
• USDA Scientist Bill Doane cross-linked starch and
synthetic polymers creating industry based on super
absorbency. -- A multiple billion dollar industry.
ARS Contributions
Future industry?
• USDA scientists created economical methods for
extracting latex from guayule plants. Yulex is based
in Carlsbad, Calif. It Just acquired $8 million in
additional venture funding.
Technology Transfer Goals of
ARS
• Transfer of technology is primary objective,
not income
•
•
•
Facilitate research partnerships & adoption
of federal research outcomes for broad U.S.
public benefit
Protect (patent) intellectual property
primarily if it enhances technology transfer,
Enhance U.S. economic development, global
competition, and sustainable economic
security
Technology Transfer Mechanisms
• Scientific publications, conferences,
•
•
•
•
workshops, field days
Public germplasm releases
National Agricultural Library
Information Staff - ARS public affairs,
Ag Research Magazine, news releases,
exhibits, web page.
Transferring research materials to nonUSDA scientists
• Research Partnerships
• Patenting / Licensing
CRADAs
Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement
CRADA
• partners a Govt. lab scientist with an
outside partner
• No Direct funding to Govt lab
• Mutually beneficial research
• Within goals of ARS
• Expected outcome is intellectual
property
Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement
CRADA
• Can lead to an exclusive license in
technology
• Confidentiality up to five years
• A positive weighing factor in award
of USDA SBIR
• Patent expertise
To partner with economic
development entities to
enhance the effectiveness
& impact of technology
transfer.
To enhance the flow of ARS
technologies to small
businesses & encourage
technology-based
economic development.
ATIP Network
David Nicholson - PWA
510-559-5641
[email protected]
Renee Wagner - MWA
309-681-6565
[email protected]
Victor Chavez - NAA
215-233-6610
[email protected]
James A. Poulos, III- BA
301-504-6421
[email protected]
Donald Nordlund - SAA / MSA
706-546-3496
[email protected]
Bryan Kaphammer - NPA / SPA
970-229-5528
[email protected]
Thomas Valco - Cotton Technology
662-686-5255
[email protected]
Victor Chavez - NAA
215-233-6610
[email protected]
David Nicholson – PWA
Renee Wagner - MWA
309-681-6565
[email protected]
Bryan Kaphammer - NPA / SPA
James A. Poulos, III
BA
Donald Nordlund - SAA / MSA
Thomas Valco - Cotton Technology
Goals of ATIP
Provide complementary assets to ARS
•
•
•
•
Guide local / regional business with research needs to the
appropriate ARS scientist across ARS (CRADA opportunities)
Triage business plans of private sector to seek well-qualified
candidates for licensing / research partnerships with ARS
Acquire marketing assessments on ARS technologies from 3rd
party sources (business schools, entrepreneur programs, angel
investors, etc.) for targeted marketing
Coordinate “Technology Showcase” events to facilitate
partnerships with private sector companies
National Patent Committees
Three “Subject Matter” Committees
•Life Sciences
•Chemical
•Mechanical & Measurement
Meet quarterly
Patent Committee Criteria
Q1: Is there current commercial interest in the invention or a
high probability of commercialization in the future?
Patent Committee Criteria
Q1: Is there current commercial interest in the invention or a
high probability of commercialization in the future?
Q2: Is the magnitude of the market relative
to the cost of commercialization sufficiently
large to warrant a patent?
Patent Committee Criteria
Q1: Is there current commercial interest in the invention or a
high probability of commercialization in the future?
Q2: Is the magnitude of the market relative
to the cost of commercialization sufficiently
large to warrant a patent?
Q3: Would the patent likely play a significant role in
transferring the technology to the user?
Patent Committee Criteria
Q1: Is there current commercial interest in the invention or a
high probability of commercialization in the future?
Q2: Is the magnitude of the market relative
to the cost of commercialization sufficiently
large to warrant a patent?
Q3: Would the patent likely play a significant role in
transferring the technology to the user?
Q4: Would a patent be enforceable, i.e., is the invention
drawn to, or does it employ a unique and readily identifiable
material or device which could be bought or sold?
Patent Committee Criteria
Q1: Is there current commercial interest in the invention or a
high probability of commercialization in the future?
Q2: Is the magnitude of the market relative
to the cost of commercialization sufficiently
large to warrant a patent?
Q3: Would the patent likely play a significant role in
transferring the technology to the user?
Q4: Would a patent be enforceable, i.e., is the invention
drawn to, or does it employ a unique and readily identifiable
material or device which could be bought or sold?
Q5: Is the invention of sufficient scope to justify patenting?
Some FY 2008 Metrics
Licenses (302 active)
•
•
•
•
•
Universities – 122 (40%)
Non-profits – 16 (5%)
Small Businesses – 100 (33%)
Foreign businesses (no U.S. presence) – 8 (3%)
Large businesses (includes foreign multinationals
with major U.S. presence) – 56 (19%)
CRADAs (232 active)
• Small businesses – 127 (62%)
• Outside state of researcher – 155 (72%)
• Out of ARS Area of researcher – 129 (60%)
Current Research of
conducted at BARC
• Pheromone extraction and
identification
• Honey bee protection
• Agricultural plastics –PLA and
keratin
• Genomic Research –chickens,
Cattle and pigs and plants
• Food safety
Questions ???
Thank you
[email protected]