Strategic Planning in USDA’s Office of Technology Transfer …

1. Strategic Planning in USDA’s Office of Technology Transfer … Meeting Research Mission, Agency Policies, & Commercialization Opportunities R. J. Brenner, Ph.D. Assistant Administrator, ARS, for Technology Transfer 1953-2003

2. 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

3. 2150 PFT scientists 2800+ projects 100+ location Agricultural Research Service Principal intramural research arm of USDA Others with research: Forest Service, APHIS, FSIS, ERS

4. Patenting Marketing Licensing Tech Transfer Coordinators • 8 registered patent agents • Located in Beltsville, MD; Peoria, IL; Albany, CA • Targeted marketing • Web subscribe Tech Alerts • Partnering opportunities • 4 senior licensing specialists • HQ based • 7 specialists with life science / ag background • Distributed across geographic Areas of ARS Office of Technology Transfer Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing; decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs

5. 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

6. Service to ARS Scientists, Customers, Stakeholders … Strategic Additions to OTT Policies & Procedures 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

7. Service to ARS Scientists … Strategic Planning: Foreign CRADAs, USTR, Export Control • 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 Commerce’s 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

8. Relevance Input Assessment Planning Impact Quality Implementation ARS National Program Cycle Strategic Planning: A priori T2 Considerations In Research Planning

9. Partner workshops … Strategic Planning: Increasing Likelihood of Successful T2 “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.”

10. Serving Other Agencies Through Development of Biobased Technology

11. Opportunities for New Partnerships

12. Outreach & Marketing Strategies • Tradeshows & meetings • Collateral materials • Targeted marketing • “Partnering Opportunities”

13. Outreach & Marketing Strategies • Economic development agencies • FLC involvement • National workshops

14. 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

15. SBIR NASVF Partnership intermediaries MEP Local Economic Development entities Small Business Development Centers Business school internships University Research Parks Partner workshops … New Directions in Strategic Public / Private Partnerships Provide training and access to resource options to partners of USDA (e.g., CRADA, Licensees)

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

17. Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD (Joann Perkins) 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