When the thought leaders at the University of Houston’s Technology Bridge set out to narrow the divide between the entrepreneurial activities at the university and the local start-up ecosystem, they first needed to map it out. Literally.

UH’s Technology Bridge launched an interactive map that serves as a tool to showcase the city’s robust innovation ecosystem – and the university’s contributions to it. This interactive, “living document” has well over 1,000 companies represented and it’s growing by the day. Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, and the TECH Map has solidified connections and promoted partnerships by showing the community, the state, and the nation what opportunities Houston holds for their fledgling companies.

Deploying such a tool in your region sounds like a daunting task, but UH’s Technology Bridge has done the extensive legwork and learned a lot of lessons along the way. Creating and Showcasing Technology Maps as an Economic Development Tool is a one-hour webinar, scheduled for December 17th,  that will guide you through the process so you can have a visual representation of your economic ecosystem and the opportunities it presents. It’s a tool that could ultimately bring scores of valuable connections, partnerships, licensees, and jobs to your university.

For complete program and faculty details or to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• This Thursday, December 3: Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups
• Faculty Consulting Agreements: Mitigating COIs while Supporting Faculty Inventors ~ Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Tech transfer and corporate relations offices have seen a dramatic increase in faculty engagements with private sector entities, often involving a consulting or other direct agreement that provides the company with access to the innovator to further develop a technology or company.

Simultaneous with this trend is the ever-present need for universities to maintain integrity in research, particularly with regard to conflicts of interest. This overlap — of consulting engagements with the university’s COI concerns — requires careful management and oversight, from the actual agreements to effective conflict of interest management frameworks. 

That’s why Tech Transfer Central is featuring a leading attorney expert in this important webinar encore event: Faculty Consulting Agreements: Mitigating COIs while Supporting Faculty Inventors, scheduled for December 3rd.

Based on high interest and high praise received from the initial live session, we are rebroadcasting this encore presentation, including all PowerPoints. If you missed the live event, you can still hear every word and share the on-demand video that is included with your registration with all staff and faculty in your organization.

For complete program and faculty details or to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups ~ Thursday, December 3, 2020
• Creating and Showcasing Technology Maps as an Economic Development Tool: A Case Study Webinar Featuring the University of Houston’s Technology Bridge ~ Thursday, December 17, 2020

Universities worldwide are being called upon like never before to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and the commercialization of research — and to demonstrate the results of their efforts in terms of economic impact. Jobs and regional economic growth have become some of the new metrics for tech transfer and industry engagement offices.

But large scale economic development initiatives come with equally large challenges, and that’s why Tech Transfer Central’s Distance Learning Division has compiled best practice advice from six top university-driven economic development efforts in the practical collection Best Practices for Bolstering Economic Development and Building Your University’s Innovation Ecosystem.

In this outstanding distance learning resource, you get these four programs plus more than 50 pages of program materials:

• Session 1: Creating An Accelerator Furnace for University Technology: Arizona State’s Success Story
• Session 2: How To Build and Nurture an Innovation District
• Session 3: Start-Up Accelerator Best Practices: Speed the Launch of Sustainable Businesses
• Session 4: Transform Your TTO Into an Economic Development Engine

Learn how leading universities have made big strides in boosting their regional economies, building out their innovation ecosystems, and getting more research out of the lab and into the marketplace. You get unlimited access for you, your staff and faculty.

Click here for complete program and faculty details or to order.

Poorly drafted provisional patent applications can be useless — or even worse, they can be used against you at conversion. Provisionals are often devalued and tossed off as a quick and easy way to temporarily protect an invention, with minimal effort spent in drafting this application. But this early misstep can result in highly consequential problems during examination of the non-provisional application later.

That’s why Tech Transfer Central’s Distance Learning Division has secured a pair of experts from the Baker Donelson Law Firm in to bring you this critical webinar: Protect University Innovations by Drafting High Quality Provisional Patent Applications, scheduled for this Thursday, November 19th. You’ll learn best practices as well as common mistakes to avoid when drafting provisionals in this practical, detailed program.

For complete details and to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• Best Practices for De-Risking University Innovations from Discovery to Exit ~ Tuesday, November 24, 2020
• Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups ~ Thursday, December 3, 2020
• Faculty Consulting Agreements: Mitigating COIs while Supporting Faculty Inventors ~ Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The Valley of Death yawns wide for cutting edge university inventions. One way to bridge the gap from basic science to venture funding is an internal de-risking program that can overcome investor reluctance to back too-early opportunities.  

A de-risking effort can also provide a solid evaluation of an innovation’s potential at each developmental and financial milestone, allowing you to avoid wasting time – and tens of thousands of dollars – on projects that should have been “killed” early and devote resources to developing and de-risking discoveries that have big potential payoffs.

UNeMed has seen outstanding results with their method for de-risking and moving technologies forward to the marketplace, using an approach that looks at technology transfer and start-up formation using an entrepreneur’s mindset. That’s why Tech Transfer Central has teamed up with UneMed’s Joe Runge, JD, for this critically important webinar: Best Practices for De-Risking University Innovations from Discovery to Exit.

In this practical session, scheduled for November 24th, you’ll learn multiple approaches to de-risk your portfolio and learn UNeMed’s “secret sauce” of processes and strategies to help your university significantly improve its own vetting and de-risking efforts. For complete details or to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• Protect University Innovations by Drafting High Quality Provisional Patent Applications ~ Thursday, November 19, 2020
• Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups ~ Thursday, December 3, 2020

Tech transfer and industry engagement offices rely on close relationships with peers, faculty, students, government agencies and business partners to keep the innovation wheels greased and the pipeline flowing. In pre-COVID times, the “contact sport” that TTOs and industry engagement professionals played took place largely in person at conferences, lab tours, innovation fairs, and in office meeting rooms.

It’s a different playing field now. But as the pandemic has dragged on, a growing number of tech transfer and engagement professionals have come to realize “different” is not necessarily “worse.” In fact, they’re finding that – when handled with expertise and careful attention to interactive formats and follow-up, virtual events can keep your momentum strong and come with many “silver linings,” including broader reach and dramatic savings on overhead expenses such as space rental, food and beverage costs, lodging, and travel.

To help you prepare the best possible virtual event strategy for 2021, Tech Transfer Central’s Distance Learning Division has produced a 3-hour collection that is guaranteed to help you lay the groundwork for — and execute — successful virtual events of any size. With Strategies for Planning and Executing Successful Virtual Events, The collection includes:

• Taking Pitches, Showcases and Events Virtual: A Step-By-Step Workshop for Tech Transfer Offices. This exclusive, 2-hour session will teach you how to pivot to a virtual event platform so you can fully engage potential investors, research and development partners, and other stakeholders by creating a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience.
• Virtual Engagement Strategies for TTOs: Scaling Up Online Connectivity Now and Building Future Resiliency. Hear from colleagues how they’ve established dynamic engagement tools and technologies outside the conventional confines of in-person events and meetings – and how to scale your virtual events for maximum impact.

For complete details, click here.

Poorly drafted provisional patent applications can be useless — or even worse, they can be used against you at conversion. According to the USPTO, nearly 170,000 provisional patent applications were filed in FY2019 — that’s about 466 provisional patent application filings each day. Provisionals are often devalued and tossed off as a quick and easy way to temporarily protect an invention, with minimal effort spent in drafting this application. But this early misstep can result in highly consequential problems during examination of the non-provisional application later.

That’s why Tech Transfer Central’s Distance Learning Division has secured a pair of experts from the Baker Donelson Law Firm in to bring you this critical webinar: Protect University Innovations by Drafting High Quality Provisional Patent Applications, scheduled for November 19th. You’ll learn best practices as well as common mistakes to avoid when drafting provisionals in this practical, detailed program.

For complete details and to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• Best Practices for De-Risking University Innovations from Discovery to Exit ~ Tuesday, November 24, 2020
• Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups ~ Thursday, December 3, 2020

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs can be critical and significant sources of funding for university innovations and start-ups. With nearly $2B in funding being awarded each year, faculty innovators, start-up founders, TTO staff, and sponsored research managers must understand how to ensure their applications stand apart from the herd.

That’s why we’re offering this two-session distance learning resource: Best Practices in Gaining SBIR/STTR Funding for University Technologies. It includes these two outstanding, strategy-filled programs:

• Dispelling SBIR/STTR Funding Myths and Misconceptions for University-Based Innovations. Many myths and misconceptions persist regarding how to apply, who can apply, what technologies are eligible, and how funds are awarded. SBIR/STTR funding consultant and former NIH scientific review officer Geoffrey White, PhD, dispels the myths and offers solid guidance on successful applications.
• SBIR/STTR Funding: Strategies for Submitting a Winning Application. Knowing the critical factors that lead to success can make a huge difference in determining whether you get funded — and ultimately in whether your research or early-stage venture ever makes it to the commercial marketplace. This session identifies the four primary components to getting funded through these two highly competitive programs. It also addresses the key challenges facing SBIR/STTR applicants and offers expert guidance for planning ahead to ensure successful completion of major steps within the application process.

For complete details, click here.

The Valley of Death yawns wide for cutting edge university inventions. One way to bridge the gap from basic science to venture funding is internal development to de-risk promising innovations and ultimately overcome investor reluctance to back too-early opportunities.  

With a solid evaluation of an innovation’s potential at each developmental and financial milestone, you can avoid wasting time – and tens of thousands of dollars – on projects that should have been “killed” early and devote resources to developing and de-risking discoveries that have big potential payoffs. There is no cookie cutter approach – each innovation is unique, with specific factors that call for risk reviews at every milestone to determine continued marketability.

UNeMed has seen success with their method for de-risking and moving technologies forward to the marketplace, using an approach that looks at technology transfer and start-up formation and development like an entrepreneur. That’s why Tech Transfer Central has teamed up with Joe Runge, JD, from UNeMed and UNeTech – the technology transfer and start-up incubation arms of the University of Nebraska’s Omaha campus – for this critically important webinar: Best Practices for De-Risking University Innovations from Discovery to Exit. In this practical session, scheduled for November 24th, you’ll learn multiple approaches to de-risk your portfolio and learn UNeTech’s “secret sauce” of processes and strategies to help your university significantly improve its own vetting and de-risking efforts.

For complete details or to register, click here.

• Protect University Innovations by Drafting High Quality Provisional Patent Applications ~ Thursday, November 19, 2020
• Understanding Equity Dilution and Its Effects on University Start-ups ~ Thursday, December 3, 2020

More than a dozen major research institutions are under federal investigation for failure to disclose foreign research ties, and over 50 universities have now been asked to investigate specific threats. Several labs have fired researchers over failure to disclose foreign relationships and funding, and the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are looking into potential security risks associated with foreign talent recruitment programs. 

It’s a problem that isn’t going away. That’s why Tech Transfer Central has created this distance learning collection dedicated to improving your assessment strategies and compliance with reporting requirements. Risk Assessment and Reporting Requirements for Foreign Research Relationships features two recorded programs in our digital package format — on-demand video and transcript — so you can view and share them with your entire staff on or off campus at your convenience. The two programs are:

• Navigating Foreign Relationships and Reporting Requirements in University Research, presented by: David Ivey, UT-Austin’s Export Control Officer and Export Compliance Counsel, who provides a solid plan of action for both policy and real-world compliance practice.
• Mitigating Risks Associated with Foreign Research Collaborators, presented by: Wendy Epley, Principal, Wendy Epley Consulting. You’ll learn how to comply with the added security measures being required by federal agencies, identify red flags, and spot subtle clues of inappropriate foreign influence so your university can protect its research and its reputation.

Click here for complete program and faculty details or to order.

Tech transfer and corporate relations offices have seen a dramatic increase in faculty engagements with private sector entities, often involving a consulting or other direct agreement that provides the company with access to the innovator to further develop a technology or company.

Simultaneous with this trend is the ever-present need for universities to maintain integrity in research, particularly with regard to conflicts of interest. This overlap — of consulting engagements with the university’s COI concerns — requires careful management and oversight.  Policies and procedures should provide clear structure and implementation, from the actual agreements to effective conflict of interest management frameworks. 

While these potential conflicts are often managed by academic units, TTOs and corporate relations offices typically have a unique relationship with both parties of the agreement and must take steps to understand these agreements while coordinating and conveying policies, procedures, and mission clarity to faculty inventors and to the companies it engages with to avoid common issues and pitfalls.

That’s why Tech Transfer Central has tapped a leading attorney expert for this important webinar: Faculty Consulting Agreements: Mitigating COIs while Supporting Faculty Inventors, scheduled for tomorrow, October 21st.

For complete program and faculty details or to register, click here.

Also coming soon:

• Protect University Innovations by Drafting High Quality Provisional Patent Applications ~ Thursday, November 19, 2020
• Best Practices for De-Risking University Innovations from Discovery to Exit ~ Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Industry’s reliance on university collaborations for R&D is no longer just a trend — it has become more like a seismic shift. Innovation-starved corporations are eagerly seeking out university partners, but only those universities that have embraced this shift and prepared their campuses for a new level of integrated industry engagement will reap the benefits.

As part of its mission to support holistic industry engagement and assist universities in attracting more corporate partners, University-Industry Engagement Advisor has produced a distance learning collection featuring four leading universities that have used innovative strategies and proven programs to achieve robust relationships with corporate partners. Kansas State University, Brown University, the University of Georgia, and the University at Buffalo are prime examples of how to foster welcoming and comprehensive industry engagement initiatives that result in research funding, job creation, philanthropic funding, talent pipeline development, and economic development.

Effective Models of University-Industry Engagement: Case Studies in Success features the details behind each of these programs in four in-depth presentations. The collection comes complete with the original program materials and includes on-demand video as well as transcripts — so you can listen and share them with your entire staff at your convenience.

For complete details on this valuable collection, click here.