Technology Transfer Of Federally Funded R D

This volume summarizes a conference held by RAND, at the request of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, at which participants offered their perspectives on issues and best practices related to technology transfer.

Technology Transfer and US Public Sector Innovation provides an overview of US technology policies that are the genesis for observed technology transfer activities. By describing the technology transfer process from US federal laboratories and other public sector organizations, this exploration informs the reader in detail of how the transfer process behaves and the social benefits associated with it.

Since 1980, the Congress has enacted several laws designed to make federally funded technology available to the public by facilitating the transfer of technology from federal laboratories to U.S. businesses. In particular, the National Competitiveness Technology Transfer Act of 1989 authorized federal laboratories operated by contractors including the Department of Energy s (DOE) national laboratories to enter into cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) that are consistent with the laboratories missions. Under a CRADA, the partner and DOE laboratory agree to jointly conduct research and typically share the research costs. By fiscal year 1992, DOE s national laboratories were among the leading federal laboratories participating in CRADAs with businesses, universities, and other partners. In addition to CRADAs, DOE s laboratories have participated in technology partnerships by providing technical assistance to small businesses. DOE s laboratories have also transferred technology to businesses and other nonfederal entities without using partnerships by (1) work-for-others agreements, in which laboratory scientists perform specified research and the business pays full costs; (2) licensing their technology to businesses; and (3) making specialized user facilities available.