U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Planning in USDA’s Office of Strategic Planning in USDA’s Office of Technology Transfer … Technology Transfer …

R. J. Brenner, Ph.D.

Assistant Administrator, ARS,

for Technology Transfer

Meeting Research Mission, Meeting Research Mission, Agency Policies, & Commercialization Agency Policies, & Commercialization

OpportunitiesOpportunities

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Presentation OverviewPresentation 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

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Agricultural Research Agricultural Research ServiceService

Agricultural Research Agricultural Research ServiceServicePrincipal intramural research arm of USDA

Others with research: Forest Service, APHIS, FSIS, ERS

2150 PFT scientists2800+ projects100+ location

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Office of Technology Office of Technology TransferTransfer

Office of Technology Office of Technology TransferTransfer

Patenting

• 8 registered patent agents

• Located in Beltsville, MD; Peoria, IL; Albany, CA

Licensing

• 4 senior licensing specialists

• HQ based

Tech Transfer Coordinators

• 7 specialists with life science / ag background

• Distributed across geographic Areas of ARS

Marketing

• Targeted marketing

• Web subscribe Tech Alerts

• Partnering opportunities

Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing; decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

• 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

Service to ARSService to ARS

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Additions to OTT Strategic Additions to OTT Policies & ProceduresPolicies & 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

Service to ARS Scientists, Customers, Stakeholders …

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Planning: Foreign Strategic Planning: Foreign CRADAs, USTR, Export ControlCRADAs, 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

Service to ARS Scientists …

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Planning: Strategic Planning: A prioriA priori T2 T2 Considerations In Research Considerations In Research

PlanningPlanning

ARS National Program Cycle

Relevance

QualityImpact

InputInput

AssessmentAssessment PlanningPlanning

ImplementationImplementation

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Planning: Strategic Planning: Increasing Likelihood of Increasing Likelihood of

Successful T2Successful T2

Partner workshops …

“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.”

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Serving Other Agencies Through Serving Other Agencies Through Development of Biobased TechnologyDevelopment of Biobased Technology

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Opportunities for New PartnershipsOpportunities for New Partnerships

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Outreach & Marketing Outreach & Marketing StrategiesStrategies

Tradeshows & meetings

Collateral materials

Targeted marketing

“Partnering Opportunities”

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Economic development agencies

FLC involvement

National workshops

Outreach & Marketing Outreach & Marketing StrategiesStrategies

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Get the Latest!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

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

New Directions in New Directions in Strategic Public / Private Strategic Public / Private

PartnershipsPartnerships

• SBIR• NASVF• Partnership

intermediaries• MEP• Local Economic

Development entities

• Small Business Development Centers

• Business school internships

• University Research Parks

Partner workshops …

Provide training and access to resource options to partners of USDA (e.g., CRADA, Licensees)

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Strategic Planning: Pursuit of New Strategic Planning: Pursuit of New Authorities to Promote Authorities to Promote

CommercializationCommercialization

• 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?

Should federal agencies pool authorities to create Federal Technology Accelerators?

U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

Office of Technology Transfer5601 Sunnyside AveBeltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-6905HTTP://OTT.ARS.USDA.GOV

Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.Assistant AdministratorPhoto: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD

(Joann Perkins)