AUTM on the Hill Day: A Major Step for Tech Transfer Advocacy

Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator




After record attendance at the AUTM Annual Meeting in D.C. earlier this month, more than 80 tech transfer professionals joined forces to participate in “AUTM On the Hill Day.”

Like many other associations, AUTM chose to take advantage of the Meeting’s proximity to the Nation’s Capital by organizing meetings in the House and Senate with key staffers for Members of Congress. Thirty-eight states were represented in the group, an amazing number given this was the first time AUTM had ever tried this activity. A total of 86 meetings were held.

Following training sessions at the Annual Meeting earlier in the week, Thursday, March 6 kicked off with two buses leaving bright and early from the Gaylord Hotel and Conference Center down to Capitol Hill. Once there, most of the attendees gathered for a group photograph before the various state groups began their schedule of appointments. Each state had anywhere from two to eight meetings pre-arranged. Some groups were led by government relations professionals from universities who volunteered to help get their state groups from one meeting to the next. Others guided themselves or were accompanied by AUTM staff.

The three key issues that each delegation was asked to cover were:

• Explaining what tech transfer is and why it is so important to the national economy, health care, and national defense.
• Walking through last year’s proposed changes to the march-in rules and urging lawmakers not to support  similar attempts in the future.
• Highlighting several bills dealing with stronger patents and urging support for that legislation.

For every meeting, the presentation was personalized, focusing on what was happening in the lawmaker’s district or state. Many participants brought examples of products developed by tech transfer in their region or shared annual reports showing startups and other benefits. 

Following each meeting, the participants were asked to fill out a form highlighting the discussion and any follow-ups needed. That data will be aggregated and shared with those involved. But it was obvious that most of those who participated found the day worth their time as they shared their expertise on the Hill.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of average citizens and various association groups wander Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers and their staff about the work they do. AUTM’s addition to this process is just the latest example of how tech transfer is now playing a key role in advocating for policies in the federal government that will expand our ability to provide the payback on research that all Americans of both parties seek and deserve.

View more pictures from AUTM on the Hill Day.