OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Soft Triage method First, focus on the PI Next, focus on the ones who know the PI best Next, focus on the support environment for the PI Other Issues Always give politics a consideration Dealing with risk and Uncertainty Soft Triage Two Major Maxims for this presentation: - Technology transfer is about relationships. period. - We do not license technologies alone, we license people Soft Triage Triage that takes into account the less than obvious factors considered by the commercially minded. What was initial impression when you first met? Does the PI have tenure? Past Corporate Affiliations either vocation or collaboration Would you personally fund the PI? Is the PI Compelling? What has the PI done in the past? Past/ Present Grant Awards and Funding Data should be available from your sponsored research organization Past/ Present Commercial Awards and Funding SBIR/ STTR/ Venture Capital, etc. Past Licensing Affiliations How did they perform in these interactions? Specifically look for conflict of interest or deal killing behavior First, focus on the PI Caveat for this section: This information is best gathered as you create relationships, not as a checklist! VP of Researchs opinion of PI Deans opinion of PI Chairs opinion of PI Grad Students opinion of their PI PIs collaborators opinion of PI Especially collaborators that have a validating role in the technology Do these opinions of the PI and his/her work mirror what is represented in the journal publications and Patents Next, focus on the ones who know the PI the best Does the PI have strong current grant support? Does the PI have a strong collaborator support network either locally or in close proximity? Does the PI possess or have access to the adequate resources or equipment needed to get the technology to the next step? Is the PI capable of using these resources should they be given access to them. Is the PI resourceful and innovative with generating supporting relationships and resources in their current setting Does the PI bemoan a lack of resources/ support or do they work with what they have or do something about it. Next, focus on the support environment for the PI There will be faculty that will fail all these questions and will also have questionable technologies Be prepared to also account for the political environment in the University when deciding on how to handle their technology Work to give a basic and sustainable effort to every faculty you deal with Communicate Frequently and Often with Faculty Remember this is about relationships Always give politics a Consideration Dont underestimate the role of Patents You will never have the amount of resources you need to do adequate triage of every technology The soft triage method will allow you to potentially screen some technologies out as well as some pain and suffering from future bad deals. The soft triage method will allow you decide how to market certain technologies to outside parties. Soft triage will also help you gain credibility in the licensing community as someone who represents their faculty and technologies accurately and truthfully to outside parties. At the end of the day, the way to generate quality licenses is to match a quality PI with a quality technology to a quality licensee. Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty Chad Hardaway MBA, JD Director