Preparing for Potential Challenges
Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator
If you have been following the news lately, the activity level in the Nation’s Capital is off the charts.
Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump has flipped the city on its ear in just his first few days and weeks in office. A flurry of executive orders has been issued, and the full-court press is on for him to get his Cabinet approved by the Senate. Several of his nominees have been confirmed while others are in process.
Among the executive orders issued was one dealing with federal outlays. A pause was ordered to payments from the federal government that were not directed at individuals, such as Social Security, Medicare, and other benefits. Universities and others who receive billions in federal research grants and other funding are alarmed about the potential impact such a pause could have, even fearing eventual loss of some funding altogether.
Clearly, we are in for an interesting era in our nation’s political history. Tech transfer professionals will be arriving to town at an auspicious time when the AUTM Annual Meeting comes to National Harbor in early March.
The AUTM on the Hill lobby day that is planned for Thursday, March 6, is the first time the Association has tried to organize advocacy on such a scale. The scheduling of the 50th Anniversary Meeting in D.C. was by design to showcase the great benefit that technology transfer has provided the nation over the past 40-50 years. Meetings will be held with lawmakers and staff from dozens of states, providing participating AUTM Members a chance to share those positive data points with policymakers whose decisions can have a direct impact of our ability to achieve the goals we have for our nation’s innovation ecosystem.
As with all transitions, we will see some new players involved in the process. Three new Republican Senators have been added to the Senate Judiciary Committee which oversees intellectual property (IP) issues. Senators Eric Schmitt (MO), Katie Britt (AL), and newly appointed Ashley Moody (FL) will all be ripe targets for learning the basics of our business. Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has also been added to the panel and will be the ranking Democrat on the IP Subcommittee. If your institution is from any of these states, you need to work with your federal relations officers to help get them acquainted with the work you do.
When your university is going to be challenged by some in government who want to reduce financial support or attack perceived bias, the stories you can share about the benefits of the research done on your campus or at your non-profit institution will be useful to counter some of those concerns. Be ready to be a partner with your federal relations and research administrators as they confront potential challenges to the ability of your institution to carry out its mission for the benefit of all Americans - and the world.