Longtime readers of the Fuentek blog know that we have a lot of experience setting up new internship programs for technology transfer offices (TTOs). From planning the program to selecting the candidates to training and mentoring the interns, we’ve done it all. We even published a white paper about it. So today I’d like to have a little fun while I share Fuentek insights about tech transfer internship programs.
Technology Transfer Tactics ran an in-depth article on best practices for handling departing faculty researchers, post-docs, visiting researchers, and the like. As one of the sources quoted, I was pleased to see the thorough treatment this topic received, because bad things can happen if you don’t stay in front of intellectual property (IP) issues when it comes to transitioning faculty…. There was a lot of great advice in the article. Here’s my take on a few key recommendations.
Today you get a sneak peek at a webinar I’ll be moderating next Tuesday, July 21st to teach technology transfer offices (TTOs) how to coach researchers on speaking with potential collaborators, funders, licensees, and others. These skills also apply when the innovator is launching a startup and talking to venture capitalists (VCs)… even those featured on Shark Tank. Called “Best Practices for Coaching Researchers on Pitching to Investors, Licensees, and Partners,” this Technology Transfer Tactics webinar will focus on…
Now that we’ve sprung forward into Daylight Savings Time, it is also time for university technology transfer offices (TTOs) to spring ahead with their summer internship programs. March is usually the month when TTOs issue their “Apply Now” announcements for summer interns. But all is not lost for TTOs who are just getting started. Although there are significant advantages when you begin planning a new summer internship program the previous fall, March is not too late to start. For example, it was last spring when a university TTO asked Fuentek for help with establishing their internship program. They wanted to start that coming summer, so we jumped in to help them, using the tricks that we have learned over our long history of establishing effective internship programs…
Innovators can be a huge asset in helping market their technologies to potential partners, licensees, and investors, as they bring unique knowledge and expertise to any discussion. However, successfully communicating the value of their inventions in a discussion, presentation, or networking event can be challenging for innovators precisely because of their knowledge and expertise. We recommend training inventors to ask themselves the following key questions as they evaluate how their innovation might fit into a particular market:…
Updated September 2016 • Even though next summer feels far away, now is the time to begin planning for next summer’s internship program, especially if you’re establishing a new one. Ideally, interns should begin working in the technology transfer office (TTO) at the beginning of the summer following the first year of their graduate program. If you start planning now, you can have the call for applicants go out in early March, interview and select candidates in April, and train them in May.
It’s a bit like a Tolstoy novel: Happy internship programs are all alike. Well, maybe not alike. But they are pretty consistent across the technology transfer spectrum. This was the consensus of panelists and attendees at a session of the recent Association of University Technology Managers® (AUTM®) annual meeting in Anaheim, California. The dynamic and interactive Frequently Asked Questions about Intern Programs session about effective internship programs attracted quite a crowd, especially considering it was one of the final sessions on the last day of AUTM 2012 (an indicator of how important this topic is to university TTOs).
A conversation on one of the AUTM® discussion groups a bit ago focused on formalizing a technology transfer office’s (TTO’s) triage process. The director initiating the discussion was contemplating using interns for technology triage because his resources are limited. He also wanted his licensing project managers to remain focused on getting deals executed. Overall, his plan was to start providing feedback on inventions in a standardized format and within a certain timeframe. And part of the goal was to improve relations and build credibility with faculty.
Prioritizing an intellectual property (IP) portfolio is an important, and often huge, task for tech transfer offices (TTOs). In today’s Stories from the Field post, I share details of how an effective IP Portfolio Optimization helped a university do more than just prioritize its IP for future technology transfer and marketing efforts. A major research university approached Fuentek about screening a group of 30 technologies in the nanotechnology sector…
I am proud of how Fuentek has offered knowledge leadership and training for tech transfer professionals across the U.S. through our white papers, webinars, and other educational services. Now, we’ve linked up with a company in Spain to expand that knowledge transfer to European organizations looking to increase the return on investment for research and development through tech transfer. Specifically, we’ve recently partnered with Knowledge Investors of Vigo, Spain, a company that collaborates with universities, companies, and investors to generate and develop business opportunities within the fields of science and technology. If you don’t speak Spanish, click the inglés link in the upper-right corner of their site….
