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Strategic Planning in USDA’s Office of
Technology Transfer …
Meeting Research Mission,
Agency Policies, & Commercialization
Opportunities
R. J. Brenner, Ph.D.
Assistant Administrator, ARS,
for Technology Transfer
Unit ed States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Presentation Overview
• Structure & function of ARS &
OTT
• Internal customer service to ARS
• Serving other federal
departments through biobased
products for economic security
• New directions in strategic public
/ private partnerships
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service
Principal intramural research arm of USDA
Others with research: Forest Service, APHIS, FSIS, ERS
2150 PFT scientists
2800+ projects
100+ location
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Office of Technology Transfer
Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing;
decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs
Patenting
Marketing
• 8 registered • Targeted
patent agents
marketing
Licensing
• 4 senior
licensing
specialists
• Located in
• Web subscribe
Beltsville,
Tech Alerts
• HQ based
MD; Peoria,
• Partnering
IL; Albany, CA
opportunities
Tech Transfer
Coordinators
• 7 specialists
with life
science / ag
background
• Distributed
across
geographic
Areas of ARS
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Service to ARS
• Annual or bi-annual training at research locations on
technology transfer of all scientists, Research Leaders by
TTC, Licensing, Patent Advisor, Marketing
• Strategic planning with scientists for research partnership
agreements; negotiations, drafting, & execution of CRADAs,
MTAs, NDA
• Convene ca. 20 patent review committees annually to review
invention disclosures, maintenance fees, foreign filings
• Patentability estimates, preparation, filing, and prosecution of
patent applications
• Negotiate, execute, & monitor license agreements
• Consultation and litigation review with USDA licensees who
find others infringing USDA licensed patents
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Service to ARS Scientists, Customers, Stakeholders …
Strategic Additions to OTT Policies &
Procedures
Challenges to manage a changing world of intellectual property,
and the partnerships that produce it
• Addition of 2 new categories of inventions
• “Biological Materials”
• Allows licensing of “protectable” technologies
(Technology Transfer & Commercialization Act of 2000)
• “Plant Materials”
• SOP & tracking of decision process in ARS for public
releases v. IP protection & licensing
• Allows ARS to manage divergent policies of ARS and
universities
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Service to ARS Scientists …
Strategic Planning: Foreign CRADAs,
USTR, Export Control
• Increased scrutiny to comply with Sec. 4, E.O. 12591
(“Facilitating Access to Science and Technology”)
• “Consult with USTR” on foreign CRADAs
• Instituted process to comply that does NOT hinder CRADA
development and approval process
• Compliance with “Export Control”, and “Deemed Export Control”
regulations from Dept. of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry &
Security (Export Administration Regulations)
• Develop “Decision Flow Chart” for export control with
Commerce to protect ARS scientists and USDA from adverse
actions
• Working with Deemed Export Control (DoC, BIS) to develop
comparable decision flow chart
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Strategic Planning: A priori T2
Considerations In Research Planning
Relevance
Input
Assessment
Planning
Impact
Quality
Implementation
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
ARS National Program Cycle
Partner workshops …
Strategic Planning: Increasing
Likelihood of Successful T2
“The goal of this
workshop is to prepare
our scientists to achieve
effective technology
transfers in animal health
research [NP 103] in the
next national program
cycle.”
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Serving Other Agencies Through
Development of Biobased Technology
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Opportunities for New Partnerships
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Outreach & Marketing Strategies

Tradeshows & meetings
 Collateral
 Targeted
materials
marketing
 “Partnering
Opportunities”
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Outreach & Marketing
Strategies

Economic development
agencies

FLC involvement

National workshops
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Get the Latest!
• Animal Production Technologies
•
•
•
•
•
Aquaculture
Cattle
Poultry
Swine
Other Animals
• Crop Production Technologies
• Food, Safety and Nutrition
• Biobased Technologies
• Natural Resources Technologies
• Biotechnology Technologies
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Partner workshops …
New Directions in Strategic
Public / Private Partnerships
Provide training and access to resource options to
partners of USDA (e.g., CRADA, Licensees)
• SBIR
• NASVF
• Partnership
intermediaries
• MEP
• Local Economic
Development
entities
• Small Business
Development Centers
• Business school
internships
• University Research
Parks
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Strategic Planning: Pursuit of New
Authorities to Promote Commercialization
Should federal agencies pool authorities to create
Federal Technology Accelerators?
• Enhanced Use Lease Authority
• Access to pilot plants
• Private sector-assisted conversion of
underutilized federal research facilities
• Integrate with economic development
incubators (community or university)
• Create tax incentives for developing
technologies by utilizing domestic renewable
resources / energy credits / carbon credits?
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service
Office of Technology Transfer
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705
(301) 504-6905
HTTP://OTT.ARS.USDA.GOV
Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD
(Joann Perkins)
Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.
Assistant Administrator
United States Department of Agriculture • Agricultural Research Service