New to Tech Transfer or Not - Advocacy Matters to You

Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator




I recently had the opportunity to speak at AUTM University in Portland, Oregon. This event brought together over 300 professionals to learn more about how tech transfer works and how they can improve their skills at their institution. It was an impressive group of newbies and others with much more tenure – all working to improve themselves and the profession.

My discussion with the Compliance Track attendees focused on advocacy and why AUTM engages in it. I showed  how the federal government – be it Congress, various funding agencies or the White House – can and does have a huge impact on the rules that tech transfer professionals must adhere to. Specifically, think of the many ways government can impact licensing and reporting:

• How will your contracts be structured?  
• What rules do you have to follow to find a licensee?  
• What are the implications for data collection and reporting?  
• What agency rules can make your job easier or harder?
• What happens when your patent gets tied up at the Patent Office or in court?  
• What Supreme Court rulings affect the ability to get a patent for new life science discoveries?

These are only a few examples of the complicated layers of oversight that the federal government exerts on how tech transfer offices do their work. And the ability of those offices to accomplish their mission relies on AUTM working with other organizations to push for positive rules and laws that will help – not hinder – that process.

Advocacy within AUTM is led by its board of directors and coordinated by CEO Steve Susalka. Underneath that oversight is the work I do as AUTM’s Advocacy & Alliances Coordinator in DC. We also have two groups that assist the overall effort. The Public Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC) , which I chair, meets monthly to review various issues facing tech transfer in Washington and offer input. We also have a Legal Task Force of volunteer attorneys who work to file comments on various rulemakings and advise AUTM on whether to weigh in on amicus briefs before the federal courts. Sheila Kadura from the University of Texas System leads this busy group, who have filed comments on numerous issues this year alone.

Thankfully, AUTM also has many allies in these fights. We work closely with the other major higher education associations – notably Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), Council on Government Relations (COGR) and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). By doing so, we strengthen our alliance and increase the volume of our voice, earning us a seat at the table when issues are adjudicated. We also work closely with a broader coalition of other groups on many of the IP/patent issues that Congress focuses on. This coalition includes corporate interests, other associations and groups like the venture capitalists and the startup community.  

Another collaborator is the Bayh-Dole Coalition, led by our old friend Joe Allen. This group works closely on the specific issues that deal with proposed changes or interpretations of the Bayh-Dole law passed in 1980, which essentially created the tech transfer business. We have been partners on such issues as the proposed framework for the march-in rules under Bayh-Dole, where we each energized our members to push back against this ill-conceived proposal. Thankfully, eight months after the comments on the framework were collected, there still has been no final determination to move forward with the framework. This is an excellent example of how working with allied groups helps AUTM achieve broader success in Washington.

All in all, AUTM has recognized from its beginning 50 years ago that what happens in Washington has an enormous impact either positively or negatively on tech transfer. Your involvement through your university or institution is key to maintaining our ability to make a successful difference for tech transfer professionals and their careers.