Start Planning Now for Your Own "August Recess"

Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator

There are many certainties in life. Death and taxes top the list. But another certainty is that Congress will be long gone from Washington every August for their long break from session.

Why does that matter? Because during that month, nearly every Congress person is – for the most part – back home gearing up for their November election and making the rounds of their state or district. If any of your local federal lawmakers are going to be in your neck of the woods, now is the time to invite them to come see what tech transfer is all about.

Your first step is to check with your federal relations team. They may have already invited the local House member or Senator to campus. If so, see if you can finagle your way onto the list of stops that lawmaker will be making. One good way to make this a broader request is to explain how visiting the tech transfer office is an excellent way to remind lawmakers of the positive economic development your university provides the region surrounding your campus. Never directly invite lawmakers to your tech transfer events without going through federal relations and your superiors first.

If you can get face-to-face time, think of unique ways to show off what you do and why it is so important. Is there a local startup company that you could show them? Meeting with that company’s CEO and university officials would highlight how federal research dollars turn into new discoveries but also new jobs, both now and down the road.

Another opportunity might be a tech transfer “fair” where various startups might have display booths to talk about their success. Many universities hold such fairs, and you should encourage your federal relations team to invite your lawmakers whenever you hold those events during the year.

One of the benefits of meeting with lawmakers on your campus is that you have their full time and attention. While meetings in DC are very useful, you will be one of 10 or 15 meetings they or their staff will have on a variety of subjects in a given day. That is why even an hour of time locally with lawmakers or other public officials can be golden for you and your university.

The AUTM Board will once again be meeting in Washington in July, and again board members will be wandering Capitol Hill to discuss AUTM’s agenda with their elected leaders and key committee staff. In addition, the board will host a reception on the Hill to celebrate American innovation. We hope to have leaders from the USPTO, National Science Foundation and Congress all speak at that event. It’s another opportunity to remind them of the importance tech transfer plays in our American economy, health care system and national defense.

So while Congress is on “recess,” see if you can use that time to educate federal policymakers about why tech transfer must be protected and preserved if our nation is to remain a world leader in innovation.