Technology Transfer of
Federally Funded Research
Questionnaire

Background

The Science and Technology Policy Institute at RAND (S&TPI) is collecting information from individuals and organizations involved in technology transfer about experiences with technology transfer, the identification of “best practices,” and the “barriers” to implementing best practices. The results of this questionnaire will be summarized in an S&TPI document on technology transfer for the use of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology [PCAST] and others interested in the topic. Although we will be able to identify your contributions through the registration process, your comments will not be attributed without your approval. Moreover, we will use your contact information to send you a copy of the results.

By technology transfer we mean any of the following activities:

  1. Informal discussions of research results and techniques between individuals supported by federal funds (transferors) and individuals working in the private sector (transferees)

  2. Formal dissemination of research results, for example, at conferences

  3. Licensing of university and national lab patents to the private sector

  4. Cooperative or collaborative research and development between a university or federal lab and the private sector
    1. Informal: work initiated out of mutual interest without generation of written agreements
    2. Formal: joint grants or agreements to perform collaborative work

  5. Startup of small company based on federally funded research

  6. Technical assistance from transferors to the private sector

  7. Personnel exchange or loan (professor or student on visit or temporary assignment to company or company technologist on visit or temporary assignment to university)

  8. Private-sector use of federally funded facilities

  9. Formal exchange (written agreement, e.g., consultant) of nonpatented intellectual property--techniques, skills, the “art” of the practice, computer code, etc.)

If you do not wish to participate in this questionnaire, please click here.

Instructions

This questionnaire should take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The format includes both checkboxes and written responses. For the questions that require a written response, please highlight the aspects that were most effective or useful to you (please include the context and depth that you would find useful if provided by others).

You may answer this questionnaire on the bases of your personal involvement and experience in your organization’s technology transfer or on the basis of the wider experience of your whole organization.

If you have additional information that you would like us to consider, please forward it electronically to ttsubmit@rand.org or send it to Tech Transfer Forum, S&TPI/RAND, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22102.

A copy of the report will be posted on the S&TPI Web site.

Thank you for providing this information.

The Questionnaire

I. Demographics and role in technology transfer

  A. What is your institutional affiliation? Please check all that apply:
U.S. university or college
Federal laboratory (non-federally funded research and development center [FFRDC])
FFRDC
Large corporation
Small corporation
U.S. nonprofit (noneducational)
State or local government
Federal government (non-FFRDC)
Foreign government
Other (please specify):
 
  B. What is your role in the technology transfer process? Please check all that apply:
University federally funded researcher, inventor, or research manager (transferor)
University technology transfer administrator for researcher or inventor
National lab researcher, inventor, or research manager (transferor)
National lab technology transfer administrator for researcher or inventor
Company technologist or technology manager (transferee)
Company technology transfer administrator
Company executive
Other (please specify):
 
  C. With which types of technology transfer have you or your organization been involved? Please check all that apply:
Informal discussions of research results and/or techniques between transferors and transferees
Formal dissemination of research results (e.g., conferences)
Licensing of university or national lab patents to the private sector
  Cooperative and/or collaborative R&D between a university or federal lab and the private sector:
    Informal: work initiated out of mutual interest without generation of written agreements
  Formal: joint grants or agreements to perform collaborative work
Startup of small company based on federally funded research
Technical assistance from transferors to the private sector
Personnel exchange or loan (professor or student on visit or temporary assignment to company or company technologist on visit or temporary assignment to university)
Private-sector use of federally funded facilities
Formal exchange (written agreement, e.g., consultant) of nonpatented intellectual property--techniques, skills, the "art" of the practice, computer code, etc.
Other (describe):

II. Experiences with technology transfer

A. Please describe your organization's primary methods or processes for facilitating technology transfer (please identify the type of technology transfer involved using the list provided above).

B. Describe the most serious barriers you've encountered (please identify the type of technology transfer involved).

III. Incentives for supporting technology transfer

A. Does your organization offer monetary rewards for submission of patent claims or granting of patents? Yes No

How effective do you believe them to be?

B. Does your organization provide recognition and/or rewards for time and effort spent on technology transfer? Yes No

How effective do you believe them to be?

C. What factors do you, as a transferor or transferee of technology, feel are important to your individual willingness to contribute time and effort to technology transfer?

IV. Measuring the effectiveness of technology transfer

A. Are you aware of any metrics to assess the success or effectiveness of technology transfer? Yes No

If yes, please describe them:

B. What do you see as the major problems associated with measuring the success or effectiveness of technology transfer?

V. What other approaches can we learn from?

A. What methods or processes (described above) do you consider particularly effective for the transfer of technology (please identify the type of technology transfer involved) and why?

B. Where else should we look for relevant best practices in the transfer of technology?

About You

Name
Phone
E-mail 
May we follow up with you if we have any questions? Yes No

    Archived December 1, 2003