N O V E LT E C H N O L O G Y T R A N S F E R

& A D O P T I O N M O D E L S

M O J D E H B A H A R , J . D . , M . A . , C L PA S S I S T A N T A D M I N I S T R A T O R , O F F I C E O F T E C H N O L O G Y

T R A N S F E R

ROAD MAP• Background on Agricultural Research Service• Challenge #1 & Solution: Timing of TT• Challenge #2 Access: Innovative Methods of Conducting TT

• SBIR-TT

• ARP Network

• Foundations

• Innovation Fund

USDA

Created in 1862 as the “People’s Department”

Conduct research to develop

and transfer solutions toagricultural problems of high

national priority and provide information access and dissemination

• 690 research projects, 17 National Programs

• 2,000 scientists & post docs

• 6,000 support employees

• 90 locations throughout US

• ~$1.1 billion annual budget

ARS Profile

CHALLENGE: THINKING ABOUT ADOPTION LATE IN THE GAME

SOLUTION: STRATEGIC APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

MOVING TT FROM I TO II

I

Requires Immediate Attention

• submitting a provisional patent application on a technology being disclosed tomorrow at a scientific conference

• Litigation matters , e.g., infringement, inventorship

• Filing a patent application with a bar date of tomorrow!

II

Important, but Can Wait

• Consolidating rights with a co-owner prior to licensing

• Inventorship analysis on co-owned inventions

• Strategizing about the desired collaboration or commercialization partner

• TT Education and Outreach

III

Distractions

• Phone calls and meetings on possible vendors

• Data compilation (dicing and slicing the data for different stakeholders)

• “Red Herrings”, non-issues that have somehow been flagged and perceived as issues

IV

Wasting Time

• Insisting on tasks/collaborations that are not allowed by law or policy

• Insisting on patenting non-patentable inventions

URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT

NOT IMPORTANT

Technology Transfer Strategy

Adoption Research Outcome

Technology Transfer Strategies

IP protection needed

IP protection not needed

Public Domain

ExclusiveLicense

Non-ExclusiveLicense

CHALLENGE: ACCESS TO INFO/TECH/FACILITIES/$

SOLUTION: TRAINING/WEBSITE/TALKS/ONE-STOP-SHOP

PRELIMINARY FEDERAL OBLIGATIONS FOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FY 2017

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS)

35.5% Intramural (including FFRDCs); 64.5% Extramural

Federal Assets• Scientists-Support• Technologies• Research Capacity• Facilities• TT professionals

Extramural Funds • Agreements• Grants • Contracts

Research Collaboration• Academic• Industry • PPP • Foundations/Non-

profits• Consortia

Complimentary Assets • Econ Dev

Organizations• Incubators• Accelerators• Investors

FederalAgency

R&D View (with external partners)

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TT ACTIVITIES• Fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship• Implementing Flexible mechanisms that correspond to current and ever-changing

scientific needs

• Encouraging the Implementation of innovative methods of conducting TT• Using intellectual property rights judiciously to enhance adoption of research

outcomes

• Keeping up with best practices in Federal Government, industry & academia

ENCOURAGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE METHODS OF CONDUCTING TT

• Coupling funding and technology transfer-Small Business Innovation Research-Technology Transfer (SBIR-TT)

• Establishment of networks of different players in the innovation ecosystem-Agricultural Research Partnership Network (ARP)

• Supporting and promoting different Public-Private Partnership models-Agricultural Technologies Innovation Partnerships (ATIP, FFAR)

• Innovation Fund

2014-20156 Applicants with CRADAs5 Awards

2015-201610 Applicants with CRADAs 8 Awards

Typical Success Rate for SBIR at USDA: 15%Success Rate for SBIR-TT: 81%

Metrics for SBIR-TT

CREATING A RELEVANT AND PURPOSEFUL ECOSYSTEM: ARP

• Establishment of networks of different players in the innovation ecosystem-Agricultural Research Partnership Network (ARP)

• The ultimate goal is creation of a national network of networks in agriculture

• Each member has a relationship with USDA-ARS• Better yet, each member can create a relationship with other

organizations in the ecosystem

Economic Development

• Linn Grove Growth Funds• Open Prairie• Technology Acceleration Partners• Village Capital• Ben Franklin Technology Development

Authority • Maryland Technology Development

Corporation (TEDCO) • Connecticut Innovations • Elevate Ventures• Florida High Tech Corridor • Iowa Innovation Corporation • Memphis Bioworks Foundation • Oklahoma Center for the Advancement

of Science and Technology

• Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority • California Association for Local Economic Development• Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) • Georgia Research Alliance • Innovate Mississippi • Maryland Technology Development Corporation

(TEDCO) • Wisconsin Security Research Consortium • Ag Innovators of Northern Colorado• Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance • City of Albany, Oregon • Colorado Bioscience Association • Connecticut Innovations • Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Office• Cultivation Corridor• Elevate Ventures • Energetics Technology Center• Florida High Tech Corridor• High Technology Development Corporation• Howard County Economic Development Authority• Innovation Partners • Iowa Innovation Corporation • Memphis Bioworks Foundation • Montgomery County Department of Economic

Development • Nebraska Department of Economic Development • Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and

Technology

Funding Provider

• MassMEP• TechHelp• Center for Innovative Food

Technology (CIFT) • Oklahoma Center for the

Advancement of Science and Technology

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

• Rocky Mountain Innosphere • The Yield Lab• Ben Franklin Technology

Development Authority • Energetics Technology Center • High Technology Development

Corporation • Memphis Bioworks Foundation• Village Capital

Incubator or Accelerator

• BioHealth Innovation Inc.

• Colorado State Univ. Ventures

Tech Transfer & Commercialization

ARP Network Members by Types of Organizations

Economic Development

Linn Grove Growth Funds

Open Prairie

Technology Acceleration Partners

Village Capital

Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority

Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)

Connecticut Innovations

Elevate Ventures 

Florida High Tech Corridor

Iowa Innovation Corporation

Memphis Bioworks Foundation

Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology

Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority

California Association for Local Economic Development

Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT)

Georgia Research Alliance

Innovate Mississippi

Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)

Wisconsin Security Research Consortium

Ag Innovators of Northern Colorado

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance

City of Albany, Oregon

Colorado Bioscience Association

Connecticut Innovations

Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Office

Cultivation Corridor

Elevate Ventures

Energetics Technology Center

Florida High Tech Corridor

High Technology Development Corporation

Howard County Economic Development Authority

Innovation Partners

Iowa Innovation Corporation

Memphis Bioworks Foundation

Montgomery County Department of Economic Development

Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology

Funding Provider

MassMEP

TechHelp

Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT)

Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

Rocky Mountain Innosphere

The Yield Lab

Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority

Energetics Technology Center

High Technology Development Corporation

Memphis Bioworks Foundation

Village Capital

Incubator or Accelerator

BioHealth Innovation Inc.

Colorado State Univ. Ventures

Tech Transfer & Commercialization

ARP Network Members by Types of Organizations

A Partnership for Public Health: USDA

Branded Food Products Database

• Research projects: www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects

• Technologies available for licensing: www.ars.usda.gov/office-of-technology-transfer

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION...

Mojdeh Bahar

Assistant Administrator

Office of Technology Transfer

5601 Sunnyside Avenue, 4-1156

Beltsville, MD 20705

(O) 301-504-6905

Email: mojdeh.bahar@ars.usda.gov