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AUTM


websites going online this summer. Although they enhance regulatory compliance and affect institutional oversight and management of investigators’ financial conflicts of interests, as well as increase the Department of Health and Human Services’ compliance oversight, they may cast a chill over entrepreneurial faculties. Faculties are told to be entrepreneurial, yet they can be crucified in the media when they achieve success. We must continue to educate the public about the benefits of entrepreneurial activities and that conflicts of interest aren’t always ‘bad’.


It isn’t all bad news, however. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants were recently reauthorised for six years, and that’s great news for emerging companies in the early development stages of research—oſten university startups. AUTM and our sister organisations, such as the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization, have advocated for reauthorisation for years, knowing that the six month or even month-to-month extensions provided in the past did not give companies the ability to plan effectively. Now they can.


grants and other regulations, and will keep our members informed on how they will be affected.


“THE NEW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PORTAL IS A ‘ONE-STOP SHOP’ FOR HELPING FACILITATE LICENCE AGREEMENTS, COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AGREEMENTS, AND INVESTMENTS OR PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY STARTUPS.”


In addition, allowing startups funded through venture capital to compete for SBIR/STTR grants will increase the number of new innovations available to the public, and making innovations available to the public is at the very heart of what we do. AUTM is keeping a careful eye on the new regulations associated with SBIR/STTR


Despite the harsh realities caused by the unhealthy economy, and perhaps in part due to these harsh realities, technology transfer professionals face tremendous pressures to increase licensing income and startup formation. Not long ago, our members frequently expressed concerns that university administrations didn’t appreciate the value technology transfer brings to their institutions and local economies. We’ve worked hard to educate our stakeholders about what we do and how crucial our work is, and we continue to put time and resources into these efforts.


As universities face budget shortfalls and struggle to find financial resources, there is increasing pressure on their struggling technology transfer offices. Expectations as they relate to jobs, income and the other impacts of technology transfer, are increasing at a rapid pace, some unrealistically. Yet, as a testament to how well our members and our industry counterparts perform under pressure, the lack of funding and increased regulatory atmosphere hasn’t devastated technology commercialisation. We’ve seen our members get creative. We’ve witnessed more partnering among universities and industry. Now, more than ever,


22 World Intellectual Property Review January/February 2012


www.worldipreview.com


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